Washington sojourn: Fatemi to meet Trump’s transition team

PM’s special assistant will land in the US today

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi is scheduled to land in the United States today (Sunday) in what is seen as a diplomatic push by Islamabad to forge  a workable relationship with the next administration in Washington.

During the two-week long visit, Fatemi will hold meetings with US President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s designated envoy, the PM House confirmed to The Express Tribune on Saturday.

PM House sources said a proposal regarding the premier’s participation in the oath-taking ceremony of the new US president is also on the cards but nothing has been finalised so far. “Invitations are usually issued to the heads of states and governments on such occasions. The option to respond positively to any such invitation once received is under consideration,” a source close to the PM said.



Fatemi’s visit is taking place following a telephone conversation between Nawaz and Trump on Wednesday that attracted the global spotlight due to its unusually effusive yet candid and frank tone.

In what is seen as an embarrassing episode for PM House, releasing the transcript of the Trump-Sharif telephonic conversation has reportedly not gone down well with Trump’s transition team. The development, the government officials believe, ahead of Fatemi’s crucial visit, is not taken in ‘very positive’ vibes.

Official sources said the Foreign Office was kept out of the loop regarding the issuance of the press release.

“The FO was bypassed and the PM House’s media wing took the matter into its own hands without having the relevant expertise and professional training. It appears that the officials who drafted the press release were completely ignorant of delicacies and sensitivities involving diplomatic affairs,” said insiders.

Apparently, such was the hurry in the PM House after the particular telephone call that the officials concerned released the first draft of the related press release without proofreading it, only to be corrected a few minutes later with the issuance of a revised press release.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, foreign affairs expert Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi termed the move as ‘undiplomatic and unprofessional. “You don’t release the actual text of a conversation without clearance from the other side. Whosoever did this – Foreign Office or PM House – behaved in a highly unprofessional manner.”

On the significance of Fatemi’s visit, he said the broader agenda of American policy cannot be derived from this tour. “Donald Trump is not in power as yet and he has not finalised his team so far. This is why he spoke to the PM in a candid and casual manner. Trump’s team on foreign policy and national security is yet to be formed. It is premature to pin high hopes on Fatemi’s visit. It is just a goodwill gesture.”

The Express Tribune tried to contact the PM’s spokesman Musadik Malik for comments on the issue but he did not respond.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2016.