Pakistan appears to be shaping for a paradigm shift in its foreign policy, with a flurry of directives making their way from Islamabad to its missions in world capitals. The move comes in the wake of the Nato airstrikes on Pakistan forward posts along the Afghan border on November 26.
On one hand, the government has summoned ambassadors serving in key world capitals for an emergency meeting to review Pakistan’s strategy in the war on terror in general as well as cooperation with the US in particular. The Nato strikes have had a major effect in Islamabad, and has hit an already uneasy alliance between Islamabad and Washington.
Envoys posted in Europe, Afghanistan, India and the US, among others, have been asked to furnish their recommendations for forming a strategy in view of the situation arising out of the Nato attacks, a foreign office official told The Express Tribune on Monday.
The meeting is expected to take place next week, the official added.
The pre-dawn raid at Pakistani check posts near the Afghan border, which left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead, has prompted the country’s top civil and military leadership to review political, diplomatic and military ties with the US.
Pakistan has already shut down the Nato supply route and has asked the US to vacate a remote, but key, airbase in Balochistan.
Pakistan insists that the incident was a ‘deliberate’ attack and as a result, “business as usual” is not possible with the US.
Despite world appeals and a last minute call by US President Barack Obama, Islamabad stayed away from the Bonn conference on Afghanistan, which began on Monday.
The foreign office has called back its ambassadors serving in different countries to get feedback on Pakistan’s response to the Nato airstrikes, said the official.
The consultations with ambassadors correspond with the announcement of a joint session of the parliament this month, where lawmakers are expected to evolve a consensus on ties with the US.
Meanwhile, in a major reshuffle, the government has decided to replace 14 ambassadors currently serving in Germany, Russia, Iran, India, Nepal, Kenya, Brazil, Egypt, Serbia, Tunisia and Chile.
Official sources have confirmed that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has already approved the reshuffle and an announcement, in this regard, is expected later this week.
It is also learnt that Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir is likely to be appointed Pakistan’s new High Commissioner to India, while the names of current Ambassador to Belgium Jalil Abbas Jilani and Zamir Akram are being considered as Bashir’s successor.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2011.
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@Nasir: Looks like what i thought has happened pl read http://tribune.com.pk/story/306543/what-the-envoy-said/ on this site ."who could probably have told them before they even departed to their host stations that they were being summoned to Pakistan to be told what to think, not to be consulted". No one is going to give any weight to their inputs.
@Malik, Legally speaking UN is unable to appreciate your request for permanently sealing the Durand Line. Pak Afghan border is a line drawn by British Colonial Major with one page document called Anglo-Afghan treaty. It has expired in 1993. So please do not take it to UN, otherwise, you may loose the Pashtun Areas of Pakistan strating from Durand line to Jehlum. If you prefer to loose those areas, then, you are welcome to raise it in UN.
@Nasir: On the top right hand side of this page is a google search bar type my name and you will find my comments on some topics on ET. If you have the time to read them you might change your opinion about my being hyper critical about Pakistan. In fact this is what one of my country men had to say about me"And, what is your personal stake, sir? Why are you so intent on bringing the two divorced partners who hate each other so much, together? Most of the time such intensity as yours recoils on you. Gandhi spent a lifetime and then lost his life chanting “bhai-bhai”. Nehru spent his lifetime appeasing Muslims and died without accomplishing anything. Somethings are better to let be". My response was"divorced partners” can get married to someone else and hope to start a new life but with neighboring countries enemies or friends you will always be neighbors better to be friends.Commonsense" . Be assured brother i bear no ill will to you or your country.
@Nasir: You are right i think i do recollect that we did call them . In commenting on any country other than my own one is restrained but in our own case i can be blunt it was just foolish wasteful posturing and you will agree nothing came out of it.
Ambassadors are shuffled every 3 years, so nothing unusual.
@jagjit sidhoo: @ashok sai: Just brainless, pointless and needless criticism on every bit of the news of Pakistan.
@jagjit sidhoo: India called home most of its Ambassadors for a meeting right after Mumbai attacks, was that a stone age with no "phone/e- mail/ video conferencing".
take my suggestions guys
Block supply route permanently, American must understand the seriousness of their mis conduct Ask UN to seal Pak-Afghan border on permanent basis Shut down American embassies who are playing sick CIA games All Americans should leave the country on immediate basis ... we do not want American visas Any drone attack will be thrown down, do it by example Look for regional solution rather than American solution If Pakistan will squeeze its support American existance in Afghanistan will reduce from 2014 to Jan 2012, lets get rid of them, they are of no good, we can handle civil war We need to hit this propaganda hard that PAKISTAN OR PAKISTANIS SUPPORT TALIBAN OR AL-QAEDA Their propaganda of Pakistan link with Taliban is as baseless as WMDs .... and their lying machines are already attacking public opinion If its not clear to the world, WE WILL FIGHT TALIBAN EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT AMERICAN SUPPORT, THESE SICKHEAD MULLAHS WILL NOT GET ANY SPACE IN THIS COUNTRY, AND THEIR COUNTDOWN HAS ALREADY BEGUN Also world should get to know the link between CIA, RAW and PAKISTANI TALIBANS We should ask Americans why they want ECONOMIC MELTDOWN of this country using corruption and supporting corruptionPakistan is doing the right thing to bring peace to this region in a way which is realistic and doable not like Americans who still do not have information about the ground realities
@S!D:
But why after 64 years of formation, why Pakistan still framing a foreign policy ?
@S!D: Do you really think you cant get the same input on the phone/e- mail/ video conferencing ? We are in 2011.
It will be interesting to see what paradigm shift in foreign policy can Pakistan really afford. Pakistani foreign policy has been anti-Indianism. To counter the huge and comparatively resourceful India, Pakistan sided with the West and got their support. Now the West is the enemy. India has remains the eternal enemy as usual. What can the paradigm shift be ?
Pakistan cannot afford to confront an India-West alliance even with Arab and Chinese help ( and i have real doubt how much of that help will be forthcoming in times of need ). It will have to make peace with one of the two. Public posturing says it has decided to make some kind of peace with India to assert to the West. The paradigm shift must be assertion to the West. However i doubt Pakistani intentions. Their pledge for peace with India is out of compulsion. Pakistan would not have sought peace if it had the ability to keep on fighting. India must do hard bargain. Lets see what all Pakistan is ready to give up to buy Indian neutrality vis-a-vis its confrontation of the West.
@ Babloo and Jagjit sidhoo Dear foreign policy is not made by any single person either be it ambassadors or anyone else. Ambassadors are being called back to get their inputs which will contribute in foreign policy making. Your comments seemed very immature to me, with all due your respect.
Time for some army officers and their touts to be rewarded. Let some more poor army officials have a taste of foreign life.
If the GOP wanted to give all a paid holiday its ok otherwise the same result could have been achieved at much lower cost using video conferencing Nothing however will come out of it as ambassadors do not decide foreign policy
It is a routine transfer and posting orders. Nothing exceptional.
If Gen Kayani/Pasha chair the meeting, something worthwhile may come out and be implemented. Otherwise sound and light show only.
@Patriotic: Absolutely right! Please take some decisions for the long term benefit of the country and with a change in government, these decisions are not changed. Salams
ET, you really need to take a second look at the pictures you throw up in your articles. You have the Israeli flag front and center in this picture, a country Pakistan has no diplomatic relations with, let alone be able to summon its envoy from.
Vienna,December 6,2011 For the first time in history messengers decide on the messages. This is indeed making the ordinary soldier plan the war. Good decision Pakistan for promoting reverse engineering of decision making process! Like caligraphy right to left.I congratulate the Pakistani Leadership troika. Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring TTTMM India --Kulamarva Balakrishna
These envoys are also salaried people and they need their promotions and clean CR ( confidential reports)
They'll simply see which direction the wind is blowing and make recommendations accordingly. Don;t be foolish to expect bold, innovative and original thinking from these most Establishment of people.
surprising to see no one yet said Imran Khan zindabad here.
The Pakistani leadership is so corrupt that they might save face for the public by attacking India, whether through an insurgency attack or a Kargill-like incident. The recent cross-border firing within the last 48 hours is a typical response, and India uses such incidences to get international support and sympathy with ease.
I doubt there is going to be a paradigm shift. Want to be a slave of China? An independent Pakistan can only be ensured by a corruption-free society; one not held in blackmail by the self-styled Mard-e-Momins and the general-wallas.
In the last 35 years we have pursued pro American pro Saudi Whabist policies. We must have working relationship with Saudi wahabists. But this may not lead to proxy groups nurtured in Pakistan. Resulting sectarian rifts in society. We needed a balance between Pro Americanism and hawkish Anti Americanism.
More public dollars spent traveling first class. Do you really think the ambassadors decide foreign policy ? This same farcical exercise was done after May 2nd Abottabad fiasco.
Please make some good decisions!