Daily Times

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s newly appointed Ambassador to the United States, Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, was accredited as Pakistan’s 28th Ambassador to the United States following his presentation to the US President Donald Trump on Friday, two days after a senior State Department official stated unprecedented pressure on Pakistan.

Closed to press, the credential ceremony comprised Siddiqui and seven other ambassadors, who had been waiting for several months to present their credentials; the ambassadors were called upon alphabetically to present their credentials to Trump.

Siddiqui, appointed in March under the previous Pakistan administration led by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML- N) party, received his notification from Trumps Administration to present his credentials a few days ago.

It is not unusual for new ambassadors to a country to wait several months to present their credentials to the chief of state. Administrations ordinarily schedule a credential ceremony for several or more ambassadors to attend, thus, ensuring an efficient time schedule for the chief.

Siddiqui’s arrival on May 29th, coincided with a nearly complete list of names of ambassadors scheduled to meet Trump on June 22nd to present their credentials. Once the credentials are accepted they are considered an officer of the host government as well as their own.

Siddiqui presented his credentials to Trump during a ceremony in the Oval Office that included envoys from seven other countries.

The accreditation of Siddiqui came as a surprise to many Pakistan watchers in Washington, who had predicted that the young ambassador may not receive an opportunity to present his credentials considering the uncertainty surrounding his tenure.

Siddiqui, an American educated investment banker arrived in Washington DC a few weeks ago to succeed career diplomat Aizaz Ahmad Chaudry.

In a welcome message on the Pakistan embassy website, Siddiqui expressed his excitement at taking on this new role. “I have taken this challenging responsibility with full confidence that we can accomplish great things together,” he said.

Siddiqui’s confirmation as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US coincides with a turning point in the Pakistan-US relationship; that has more recently been perceived to be at an all time low. The recent ceasefire between the Taliban and the Afghan government indicated an improvement in the relationship, thanks to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking with Pakistan’s army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa the day before the three-day Eid truce was announced.

It is thought Pakistan played an influential role in persuading the Taliban to accept Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani’s offer for a three-day ceasefire.

Speaking at a congressional hearing earlier in the week, US Principal Deputy Assistant of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice G. Wells, stressed the US is putting unprecedented pressure on Pakistan to comply with Donald Trump’s administration’s South Asia policy.

During her testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on US policy toward Afghanistan, she responded to questions from congressmen.

When US Rep. Ted Poe asked if the situation had changed “despite Pakistan’s promise to do better, Pakistan continues to support the Taliban 17 years later” and opined that all aid to Pakistan should be cut off.

Wells responded that the situation changed because US is putting ‘unprecedented pressure’ on Pakistan including suspension of $1.6 billion in military assistance and $900 million in Coalition Support Funds, adding that the Trump administration’s strategy continues to take a tough approach on countries and actors that the US thinks can take a more proactive approach.

In a new year day tweet, President Trump had called for a suspension of all financial aid to Pakistan, citing the continuing existence of terrorist safe havens in Pakistan.

The hardline approach by the Trump Administration is viewed as a success by many in Washington DC — especially after the recent three-day Eid truce between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban.

Wells indicated there is still much to be done by Pakistan to strengthen the fraught relationship.

“Despite some positive indicators, we have not yet seen Pakistan take the sustained, the decisive steps that we believe it should pursue including the arresting or expelling of Taliban elements who do not come to the negotiating table,” Wells said.

Furthermore, she explained, the sanctuary provided by Pakistan for the Taliban leadership has buffered the Taliban from international pressure to commit to Afghanistan’s peace talks.

According to Wells, the US is also facilitating talks between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban — a US negotiating group has been formed in Washington DC to collaborate with the US embassy in Kabul to facilitate the peace process talks.

“The United States has made clear that we are prepared to support, facilitate and participate in direct negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban. We will support all Afghan stakeholders as we work to reach a mutually agreed negotiated settlement that ends the conflict and ensures that Afghanistan is never again used as a safe haven for terrorist groups,” she said.