Surprise appointment: ‘Consensus candidate’ Sherry Rehman new ambassador to US

While president may not be on board, PM and military establishment endorse move.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government appears to have moved swiftly beyond the Memogate controversy as it has appointed lawmaker Sherry Rehman as Pakistan’s new envoy to the United States.

Rehman, who is known for her strong views particularly on the country’s controversial blasphemy laws, will replace Hussain Haqqani who was asked to resign on Tuesday over the Memogate scandal.

The appointment of Rehman has come as a surprise to many as the former information minister was not named among the candidates most likely to be Haqqani’s successor. People like Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and former chairman of joint chiefs of staff general (retd) Ehsanul Haq were considered hot favourites as both are reportedly backed by the security establishment.

However, the military is believed to have compromised on its nominees in an attempt to avoid criticism for being too overt in influencing the civilian government’s decision. The government is already under fire as Haqqani’s resignation is being seen by many analysts as further weakening of the civilian administration. Keeping this in mind, said sources, the government and military agreed to appoint a person who would be acceptable to everyone.

“She is the consensus candidate,” said an official familiar with the development. “She is acceptable to everyone including the military and the Americans,” he said.

Rehman, 50, is considered a liberal, who has campaigned for civilian supremacy in the country. However, she has not been as critical of the military establishment like her predecessor. In fact, recently the Jinnah Institute, which she headed, released a report detailing Pakistan’s concerns on the Afghan endgame. The findings of the report seem to have endorsed the views of the security establishment on the issue.

A security official also confirmed that the military had no issues with the government’s choice for the country’s next envoy to Washington. “We had a very good working relationship with her (Sherry Rehman) when she was the information minister,” said the official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Because of her apparent acceptability in quarters that matter, Rehman was also the front-runner for the slot of foreign minister following the resignation of Shah Mahmood Qureshi over the Raymond Davis controversy earlier this year. But her name was dropped in view of death threats that she faces from militant groups over her stance on the blasphemy laws. Sources said that Rehman was herself interested in a foreign job because of her personal safety and security.

But there are speculations that President Asif Ali Zardari may not be on board over her appointment. She developed differences with the president in 2009 over his attempts to block private TV channels critical to his policies. She later resigned as the information minister, citing this as a reason, and remained low profile for some time. It is being said that she was the choice of the prime minister and the military.

Speaking to reporters, the ambassador designate said she will work with the US to improve relations keeping in view Pakistan’s national interest, integrity and sovereignty.

Rehman, a former magazine editor, also met the prime minister and her predecessor Haqqani. “Congratulations, best wishes and prayers for Sherry Rehman for her new assignment. Pakistan Zindabad,” Haqqani wrote on the microblogging website Twitter, where he had also announced his resignation.

But, hours after Rehman was named for her new job, the decision was criticised by the religious right who view Rehman as ‘disloyal to Pakistan and Islam’. “Rehman is already following policies of the US and the Jewish lobby as she tried to abolish the country’s blasphemy laws,” said a perturbed Shahid Ghauri, central leader of Sunni Tehreek.

(Read: A worthy replacement)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2011.