Bypassing rules: Political appointments infuriate Foreign Office

Posting of non-career diplomat to Canada cited as latest example

ISLAMABAD:

In what appears to be a sign of growing nepotism in Pakistan’s Foreign Service, the government is planning to hand a key post in Canada to a non-career diplomat. The revelation comes exactly two weeks after Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States skillfully manoeuvred his way into getting a two-year extension.

Diplomats familiar with the development revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has finalised the name of Dr Yousaf Junaid for a key diplomatic assignment in Pakistan’s High Commission in Canada without properly observing Foreign Service rules. Dr Junaid, an officer from the Commerce and Trade
Group, is already serving as the consul general in Istanbul since 2010.

“Dr Junaid can replace Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Gul Akbar Zaib,” a senior diplomat told The Express Tribune on Saturday. Akbar Zaib, who has been in the Foreign Service since 1979, has already completed his service, explained the diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“The decision to appoint Dr Junaid smacks of nepotism,” said former ambassador B A Malik. “Foreign Service rules clearly state that a person who serves in a foreign mission for at least three years is supposed to resume duties in his or her parent department for at least two years first before being eligible to join another foreign mission,” he explained.

“Ottawa is an important diplomatic post. We usually posted only officers of BPS 22 from the Foreign Service over there,” Malik said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should have chosen senior diplomats for key stations as there is no dearth of career diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he added.

Diplomats that The Express Tribune spoke to on this matter revealed that many senior diplomats in the foreign ministry are unhappy with the government’s recent decisions on foreign postings. “We have planned to challenge the recent postings and extensions given to diplomats,” another senior diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

“We diplomats believe that the norms of good governance enshrined in Articles 2A, 4, 25 and 27, and the principles of policy outlined in articles 29, 37 and 38 of the Constitution have been violated. The government has ignored us by making recent postings in London and New York, and by giving an extension to the ambassador in Washington DC who recently reached the age of superannuation. Five senior most diplomats, who include the current foreign secretary, were the major contenders for these posts but they were ignored,” the diplomat said.

Asked about this development, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said: “I don’t have any such information readily available. I will have to check.”

Pakistan Press Attaché Abdul Akbar was also unaware of Dr Junaid’s posting in Canada. He confirmed, however, that Dr Junaid was continuing his tenure in Istanbul and overseeing business matters for Pakistan there.

Many information officers have already gone to court against postings of officials aboard accused of being appointed based on nepotism, senior foreign ministry officials said. The superior judiciary has also laid down very clearly the defined limits on the exercise of discretion by public functionaries including the prime minister, they added.

A senior diplomat in the Foreign Office recalled that the postings of non-career diplomats, especially ones without any training in diplomacy, are a cause of considerable consternation among Foreign Service officers. Senior diplomat Adnan Randhawa, who was posted in China, has already resigned because of a discriminatory attitude against him and what he saw as flawed foreign policy decisions of the government, he said.

The diplomat also said trade between Pakistan and Turkey has declined to some extent because such high-profile and sensitive assignments were given to officers who lacked the necessary aptitude, training and experience. He claimed the current consul general in Turkey was facing several non-diplomatic issues.

Dr Junaid could not be reached for comment on this matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2015.