Pakistan’s High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK), Sahibzada Ahmed Khan, who is currently facing inquiry over his conduct at an event in London has been asked to not go back to UK, and stay in Islamabad till further orders and final decision made by the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
It is reported that, high commissioner has met other officials at the foreign ministry and explained his position but was told that final decision to his fate would be made by the Prime Minister on the advice of the foreign Minister who has refused to meet him, apparently showing his anger which has already been reflected in his tweet.
The source said that high commissioner was scheduled to meet foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday, to explain his position but due to FM’s pressing engagements high commissioner could not meet him. “He was asked to wait in Islamabad till further orders”, the source remarked. It has also been reported through a source that the government has started process for considering various career and non-career names for the appointment of new high commissioner for UK.
A diplomatic source confided to Daily Times that high commissioner is extensively engaged in lobbying to get himself out of the crisis, within foreign office and from some of the highly influential people close to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Foreign Minister has already apprised the Prime Minister Imran Khan about the event involving High commissioner, after which Prime Minister asked foreign Minister to look for some other appropriate person for the appointment as new High commissioner to UK which is considered as an extremely coveted diplomatic position in the Foreign Service.
Published in Daily Times, September 19th 2018.