Recognition of new Libyan authority: Tripoli issues warning as Pakistan treads cautious line
The Pakistani charge d’affaires in Tripoli was summoned by the Libyan foreign ministry to inform him of the decision.
According to the NTC, Tripoli will not revalidate residential visas issued by former leader Col Muammar Qaddafi to the diplomats of all those countries, including Pakistan, that do not recognise the new Libyan authority as a legitimate representative of the people. However, despite a recommendation by the Pakistani foreign ministry in favour of NTC, the Pakistani government has decided to delay recognising the new Libyan administration, another official source told The Express Tribune.
The ministry was asked by its high-ups to “wait and see” the Libyan situation for another couple of days, the source said. “It has been decided by the top leaders not to recognise the rebel-led NTC till the absconding Libyan leader Col Qaddafi is holding the gun.”
(Read: Libya situation - Pakistan adopts wait-and-watch approach)
However, at the same time Islamabad also chose to ignore the Libyan ambassador’s decision to hoist the new flag of Libya in Islamabad without prior permission from the government.
According to the official source, although Pakistan has reservations against the hoisting of the new tri-coloured national flag of Libya in Islamabad, it will not initiate any proceedings against the envoy.
“Under diplomatic norms and rules, it was obligatory for the Libyan ambassador to obtain formal permission from Pakistan before hoisting a new flag at his embassy building,” the source said, adding: “It is violation of rules and procedures on the part of the Libyan ambassador as we have not recognised the new flag yet.”
The Qaddafi-appointed Libyan ambassador in Islamabad, who switched loyalties to the rebels last month, had formally requested Pakistan to recognise the NTC as the legitimate authority of his country.
So far, 75 countries have recognised the NTC, while Saudi Arabia, Iran, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Central Asian States and Pakistan are yet to follow suit.
Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar told The Express Tribune that Pakistan will take its decision on the issue at an appropriate time. “We should keep in mind that many friendly countries of Pakistan and its neighbouring nations have not recognised the NTC-led administration in Tripoli, so far,” Babar said.
A former Pakistani ambassador, while supporting an immediate recognition of the NTC by Islamabad, said, “We should not have any sympathy for a dictator who caused the deaths of over 50,000 people within months to perpetuate his dictatorship.”
“It was the same Qaddafi who had caused serious damage to Pakistan by telling the US about Islamabad’s alleged support [to Libya] for manufacturing nuclear arms,” he told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2011.
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Pakistan Government has delayed much to recognize the NTC; which is the legitimate government of Libya and very much popular in every nook and norner of Libya. NTC is ensuring the democratic norms, justice and rule of law. Now its FREE LIBYA and NEW LIBYA under NTC rule. There is a real peace under NTC; no tension and no threats. As for the Stadium in Lahore; its better to re-name it LAHORE STATIDUM; and if we have to go after Libya then it can be re-named as OMAR MUKHTAR Stadium; the HERO of Libya. More delay by Pak Govt in recognizing NTC, will deny visas to Pakistani workforce and future business for Pakistan.
cmon government should recognize NTC asap bcoz there are lot of opportunities yet to open for job
Change the name from Qaddafi Stadium to Libya Stadium and it will solve the problem for ever, Governments shall be coming and going but Libya shall always be there.
Friendship with a country is never based due to a person but as per national interests. Qaddafi was a friend of Bhuttoo and tried to harm Pakistan afterwards. Some group in Pakistan tried to help him for development of Atom Bomb but he disclosed the deal to USA just to harm Pakistan. This transfer of technology could not be made, single handedly, by Dr. A. Qadeer Khan, which might be another story; But what was the purpose of Qaddafi to heavily pay and then abandon and disclose it without any gain, for the country. He spent lot of Libyan money to support insurgency and sabotaging movements all over the world, for which no head of state will involve himself. So much so he was involved in bombing and destroying civilian planes and killing hundreds innocent people, including women and children. He was not only a dictator but a cruel, senseless and heartless person. Name of Qaddafi Stadium should also be immediately changed into the name of any cricket hero, preferably Mohammad Haneef, who was the first opening batsman of Pakistan, very young, called little master, due to his several world records which got Pakistan international recognition in very early days of independence. We should recognise the new government of Libya immediately in our own interest..
Well... We did not apply the same rule to Taliban led government in Afghanistan in the 1990s. We were very quick to recognize the Taliban government, and we were the one of the three governments who recognized them...
Change the Lahoer Cricket stadium's name!!!
The TNC should have been recognized long time ago. Delay shows the leadership lacks forward thinking. Not only that, Pakistan, need to recall its ambassador from Syria, and send Syrian ambassador packing. No need to be in bed with a criminal regime, whose days will come to an end, sooner or later. Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia need to take the lead to put pressure on Syria to reform fast, or Bashaar to leave, as thes are the major muslim countrries.
Times are tough we have to follow the Saudi line on this.
Well, PPP's government is trying to be loyal to its' old supporter, presumably a friend of Z A Bhutto and someone for whom the Qaddhafi Stadium was named in Lahore. No regard to the fact that Qaddhafi spilled the beans on Pakistan's help in the nuclear area to the West. Whether this help was sanctioned by Pakistan's government or was an individual act of Dr. A Q Khan is yet to be known. But, it is a short-sighted strategy to delay recognizing the new government in Libya. Pakistan's government should be concerned about the Libyan people not the dictator who called his people "rats," and is now hiding as a rat himself in some hole somewhere. He does not have an iota of a chance to make a comeback so quit dreaming and recognize the new government.
Rebels will be rebels...
Lets just stop dealing with that part of the world (Middle East and North Africa). It has gotten us into enough trouble as it is. The world consists of many regions. South America and Sub-Saharan Africa need to enter the Pakistani imagination. People here need to start getting themselves aware of the revolutionary social movements rampant across Latin America. More people to people interactions with Latin America can do wonders for Pakistanis to understand the world from a more diverse angle (Brazil etc.).
Do not recognise . Gaddafi Refused to recognise the Saudi-American backed Zia-ul Haq Pakistan should not recognise the the Saudi-Qatar-American backed "Rebels"
Gaddafi had a principle stand never support traitors. he applied this to the Palestinian authority as well when they had traitors
MMM - I would have thought the damage to Pakistan was done by the people who were facilitating nuclear proliferation -- not the people disclosing it.