Daily Times

A Foreign Office reeling from weak leadership; confused policy has touched a new low. If media reports are to be believed, and a journalist no less than Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami has claimed amongst others, the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Lt General (retd) Bilal Akbar, who was posted to Riyadh just a few months ago, is apparently being removed. It may be recalled that the former Corps Commander had been posted to Saudi Arabia to “clean the mess” created by the previous envoy Raja Ali Ejaz, who was sacked unceremoniously by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after a major scandal had prompted Prime Minister Imran Khan to lecture envoys in most unflattering terms. But that’s not the end of the story.

In an even more bizarre development, High Commissioner to Canada, Ameer Khurram Rathore, who had only joined his assignment in Ottawa last month, is reportedly being tipped to replace Lt General (retd) Akbar. This raises a whole series of questions.

First of all, what did Lt General (retd) Akbar do to merit such an unceremonious and early exit? It is common knowledge that an envoy needs some months after joining a foreign assignment to present credentials, meet the most important people in the country, build the required contacts and acclimatise to the local conditions. Given that the general had not yet completed even that phase, he is not likely to have committed any massive blunders that would call for his removal. And no major scandal has erupted in Saudi Arabia, as far as the Pakistan Embassy is concerned, during this period. At any rate, envoys hailing from the armed forces are appointed on a three-year contract and there haven’t been any instances where such a premature recall has taken place. Lt General (retd) Akbar enjoyed a stellar reputation in the Pakistan Army and was said to be doing a good job in Riyadh. What is even more intriguing is, that he is reportedly being posted to Hungary. Well if the envoy had really failed to perform at all then why he is being assigned to another diplomatic mission. Sadly, to post him in Budapest, the incumbent there would have to be removed prematurely to somewhere else and a whole chain reaction of postings would start.

The foreign secretary should not allow a travesty of rules, diplomatic norms or wastage of public resources.

As far as High Commissioner Rathore’s shocking exit from Ottawa is concerned, the circumstances are even more baffling. He was posted to the mission end of last year, around eight months before the term of the preceding high commissioner was set to expire. As such, he had to wait nine months before he could be in Ottawa this September. And now, he is being given marching orders only a month after his arrival. That would necessitate somebody else being posted in his place, again starting a chain reaction of postings, as mentioned earlier. Not only would this cause massive disruption and create an impression in several capitals that Pakistan cannot conduct serious diplomacy at a crucial juncture, but also cause a loss of around a hundred million rupees (which a three-way chain reaction of premature postings would result in). For a country facing a serious balance of payments situation with its currency losing value every day, this constitutes extreme recklessness. Not even banana republics conduct their diplomacy in such a shoddy manner.

So what are the possible motives for these mysterious transfers that have sent shock waves all around? One theory is that Rathore, who is known as a diehard PTI supporter and has personal links with the party, is being sent to Saudi Arabia, which has over 2.5 million Overseas Pakistanis residing, to ensure that the party wins a majority of overseas votes there if an early election is held. That vote could tip the scales in dozens of constituencies in Pakistan. The other theory is that given the ongoing tussle over DG ISI’s appointment, the prime minister wants a loyalist in Riyadh rather than a general. Regardless of what the real motives are, such a move would be unprecedented in the 74 years history of the country. The government removing envoys that it had sent only months ago in key capitals without any scandals erupting does not make any sense.

The foreign secretary, who is the administrative head and the principal accounting officer of the Foreign Office, should not allow such a travesty of rules, diplomatic norms or wastage of public resources. None of the self-respecting and conscientious foreign secretaries of the past such as Riaz Khokhar, Riaz Mohammad Khan, or even Salman Bashir would have allowed this. But as per the Foreign Office grapevine, the incumbent, known for his weak voice, is compromised because of his desperation to get a golden handshake foreign posting, out of rules, even as he has just eleven months to retirement. As such, he may not be able to offer any resistance, even as any self-respecting federal secretary would have offered to resign before carrying out such orders.

The PTI government, which came to power with a mandate for positive and not adverse changes needs to revisit any such decisions, which would not only destroy its legacy but also seriously jeopardise national interests. Sadly, a picture posted by the PM himself on his Twitter account showing him watching the T20 Pakistan-India cricket match with a close group is showing Rathore’s inimitable ponytail, which is giving rise to further speculations since it is unusual for an envoy posted somewhere else such as Canada to accompany the prime minister on a tour to Saudi Arabia and be so closely attached with him.

If the government believes in meritocracy as PM Khan pledged over the years, it needs to act in a dignified manner and focus on the problems being faced by the masses rather than indulging in petty politics for short term goals. Stability and prosperity can only be achieved if there are sincere and honest people running day-to-day affairs whether on the domestic or international level. But will the PM realise this? Only time will tell.

The writer is Associate Editor (Diplomatic Affairs), Daily Times. He tweets @mhassankhan06