Shah undertakes to quit WTO post in two months

Averts order of his removal by the top court

ISLAMABAD: In order to avert an adverse order from the Supreme Court, Dr Syed Tauqir Shah has submitted an undertaking that he will relinquish charge as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after winding up his assignments in two months.

A three-judge bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, heard a suo motu case on Tuesday against Shah’s appointment as ambassador to the WTO.

The court observed that Shah, who was previously serving as Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s principal secretary, was appointed at the key post due to favourtism as ‘he is a blue eyed boy’ of Shehbaz.

Later, the bench started dictating order to suspend his appointment. However, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali requested the court to show restraint and not to pass any adverse order.

Calling an ‘ambassador’ the face of Pakistan, he said Shah’s continuity was important for the state.  He requested the bench to refer the matter of his extension to the federal government.

The CJP, however, said the world would appreciate that rule of law had been established in Pakistan. “Now the appointment will be made on merit,” he added.



He said those who were assigned lucrative posts due to favouritism were facing tough time. “Are people like Ali Jahangir Siddiqui [Pakistan’s newly appointed ambassador to the US] and Tauqir Shah the only ones left to represent Pakistan!” he wondered.

The CJP asked Shah whether he remembered what he had done in Punjab. “Should the court order an inquiry regarding your conduct as Punjab CM’s secretary?” he asked Shah.

The AGP admitted that being the secretary to CM was not the qualification to become ambassador to the WTO. The bench, however, asked him not to intervene in the matter, adding that if Shah wanted to contest, he should hire a private counsel.

Later, Shah decided not to get further extension as ambassador to the WTO. However, he said, that an important meeting was scheduled between two WTO representatives and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal in next few days.

The two representatives are ambassadors of Pakistan and Australia.

Calling the meeting ‘very significant’, Shah said if he was stopped from attending it, no one would be able to represent Pakistan at the WTO. “In the interest of the nation, I do not want the country to be humiliated at an international forum due to me,” he added.



Shah referred to his professional experience and tried to justify that he was appointed on merit. However, he later gave a handwritten undertaking that he would leave the post after winding up at the WTO in two months. The CJ agreed to pass appropriate order on his undertaking.

On April 22, the CJP took exception to Shah’s appointment as ambassador and permanent representative to the WTO in Geneva and also summoned him.