The furore over the absence of a full-time foreign minister following the death of the chief of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in a drone raid in Pakistan, has erupted into a call for resignation of Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs. Aziz invariably is the target of most tirades in media whenever some policy foozle inflames the opposition and the mufti and khaki TV brigades. Aziz’s performance at the Heart of Asia conference was widely criticised. His clarifications about Narendra Modi’s unexpected soiree with the Sharifs, and Pakistan’s participation in the Saudi-led 34-Muslim countries’ alliance against various terrorist organisations were summarily spurned by the Senate.
Aziz has been similarly slammed by many other politicians, including some stalwarts of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Jamaat-e-Islami. But despite the vitriolic against him, Aziz seems to have emerged as manifestation of the entire psyche, spirit, style, substance and spectrum of our foreign policy. His forte is further raised by the fact that he is not the architect but only a transmitter of policy produced by other. In this capacity, he has evidently proved to be its most perfect face and facilitator, beating the odds against his baby-faced, octogenarian persona in matching the standards set by Hina Rabbani Khar, who was not merely an MNA and a full-fledged minister but was also ranked as the third most attractive politician in the world.
Just a glance at Aziz reveals that his very persona, ambiguity of role and portfolio with respect to Tariq Fatemi, his fellow foreign policy functionary for the Sharif government, make him not merely the most perfect foreign minister of Pakistan but also the most perfect foreign minister of the world. His selection can thus galvanise the Sharifs to grab this first-ever, unique global award and honour. It could also help them redeem their earlier unrequited efforts and resentment for missing a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records despite their stunning spectacle of putting up 200,000 chairs in a University ground, and then having them removed overnight without any event happening. Given this mania for world records, we must rush to project Aziz’s clout and credentials to win the wondrous, global award of “the most perfect foreign minister.”
Presenting Aziz’s case with pomp and planning would be paramount to enlighten global observers and appraisers about his perfect suitability for the slot that far surpasses the apparent glamour, accessories and presentation. A compelling citation for him can be crafted along the following lines.
Aziz’s age and experience are certainly unmatched not only among Sharif’s inner clique, but also in the entire world league of foreign emissaries. Born in1929, he witnessed the unfolding of the two-nation theory, the India Act, emergence of Pakistan and pillars of its foreign policy forged into the extinct, fossilised notions of viewing the world as wedged into Muslim and non-Muslim blocs reminiscent of the Crusades. Arabs being mostly Muslim are to be ensured a special, immutable, emblematic niche in our foreign policy. Their refusal to extend equitable rights or status to our workers is to be summarily ignored.
Western countries that permit our migrants to acquire their citizenship, integrate and rise even to their most coveted councils and cabinet cadres are to be perpetually pummelled and mistrusted for their policies, but persistently wooed for their aid and trade concessions. Special, unwavering hypocrisy, animus and arrogance against the United States have to be invariably maintained. We adore its arms, green bucks, green cards, concessions, export quotas, aids, inputs and investments in our socioeconomic elevation and infrastructure, but hate its advice to crush terrorists whom we once so passionately valued as our “unique, indispensable assets” to extend our edge and influence in the neighbouring and distant lands. Actually, we are a proud martial race, and we take pride in everything related to martial glory ranging from piles of ammunition to aggressive laws. Any country that provides us with maximum loads of the latest armoury is to be counted as our most trusted friend. China for this reason is regarded as our best friend. Given the depth and height of our gratitude to her, the petty problems of trade imbalance and the impact of her exports inundating on our indigenous industries are to be reverently eschewed.
Aziz’s maturity and experience are a scintillating symptomatic canvas of these congealed notions while his innocent face brings a new, vivid freshness to them. This is a real asset for the nation, and especially the Sharifs who can now confidently claim to have imparted a fresh visage and veneer to our old foreign policy foundations, just the way they have been creating a new, shining Pakistan propped by insurmountable mountains of foreign debts.
The vague, undefined boundaries of Aziz’s role and responsibilities with respect to Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, adds yet another plume making Aziz a real embodiment of formulation and operational aspects of our foreign policy portals. The bickering and confusion about their relative roles and sphere or “tussle over the turf” that initially riled the press are actually an iconic illustration about the vagueness about government or generals being the actual makers and masters of our foreign policy. There is, for instance, an irrefutable and pervasive perception that most of it is formulated not in the foreign office but in the confines of the General Headquarters. The division of Aziz’s authority with Fatemi thus stunningly symbolises the divided parameters of the very policy that he pedals.
The unique profusion of Aziz’s very persona prompting reverence to a veteran professional and politician, and eliciting the illusion of an innovative freshness to the proudly preserved policy fossils of our nation, certainly cannot be found among his other foreign-policy peers and contenders. Such a singular stature can evidently land him straight to the top slot in any global contest of foreign policy wizards and vendors.
No renowned ranking agency to gauge suitability, efficiency and perfection of various world ministers, however, is yet to be established. So Pakistan can pioneer its own organisation for this purpose to ensure this first ever, innovative prize, guarding it against any untoward likely intrigues. Sartaj Aziz in this competition would then win not merely as the most perfect foreign minister but also as the first ever incumbent to hold this honour.
The writer is an academic and a freelance columnist, and he can be reached at [email protected]