Junkets

Authorities, by revealing missing details of visits, their specific purpose, could bring transparency to the matter.

Ambassadors-at-large around the world have typically special roles to play and key assignments to accomplish on behalf of their states. Unlike ambassadors-in-residence, they, by the very nature of their job, have to be globe-trotters. Unless they assumed the role as a reward from their political masters for their allegiance, no one usually picks fault when they fly frequently to foreign shores on official business. However, given the rampant cronyism in our own milieu, one is not sure if the holder of this high office representing Pakistan is travelling abroad to actually promote the state’s agenda or using it as an excuse to go on a pleasure trip. It is in this context that our National Assembly recently heard — with awe and wonder — about one ambassador-at-large undertaking as many as 32 trips to several countries in a two-year period. Nasir Ali Khan paid these visits to different countries at the state’s expense between June 2008 and April 2010. These include trips to multiple countries at a time. He certainly seems to have pushed the envelope.

The revelation contained in the Foreign Office documents placed before the assembly was incomplete, though, as the lawmakers were not told about the purpose of these visits nor updated on how much sum the state forked out to cover for the expenses. To be fair to the diplomat, if he is pushing the state’s interest in foreign capitals, his frequent travels abroad should, indeed, be seen as a necessity, not wasteful expenditure. But for that to be believed, the foreign ministry will need to take Parliament into confidence on what measurable success the special emissary achieved through his numerous diplomatic offensives. For doubts linger in such matters because many appointments on such plush posts as the one in question are often made on political affiliations. The appointees are scarcely picked from the career pool. The authorities, by revealing the missing details of the visits and their specific purpose, could bring transparency to the matter. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2014.

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