Breaking barriers: A diplomat’s love affair with Peshawar

A polyglot, US Consul Jon Danilowicz hopes to add Pashto to his list.

PESHAWAR:

US Consul in Peshawar Jon Danilowicz’s diplomatic journey has constantly brought him to Pakistan.

Now in his third stint in the country, he has grown to admire its sights, sounds and flavours. Always ready to crack a joke or share a laugh, Danilowicz is enthusiastic about being posted in the provincial capital.

“I think I have the shortest commute in the US State Department Pakistan,” he says, breaking into peals of laughter. “I don’t need to worry about traffic because my quarters are a stone’s throw away from the US Consulate General Peshawar. It’s a just a few minutes’ walk.”

A lifetime’s achievement

Having completed 26 years in foreign service for the US government, Danilowicz has nostalgic memories of his time in South Asia.

“I was first posted at the US Embassy in Islamabad between 1999 and 2002,” he explains. “Between 2011 and 2012, I returned to Islamabad as Director of the Narcotics Affairs Section.”

Danilowicz’s love affair with Peshawar began on October 1, 2014 when he was stationed in the city as US consul general.

“I was also based in Dhaka for eight years,” he says. “The city has a special place in my heart as my wife and children still live there.”

A journey like no other

Passion sounds like a cliché when it comes to describing a diplomat’s motivation but aptly puts into words Danilowicz’s enthusiasm. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, he always knew that he wanted to work abroad.

“Growing up in Worcester, Massachusetts, the one thing I wanted to do was to leave the US,” he tells The Express Tribune.  Driven by childhood dreams and ambitions, the US consul decided to adopt a fairly unconventional career path.

“I joined the US Foreign Service straight out of university,” he explains. “It was, and continues to be, an uncommon career track.”

Looking back, Danilowicz has no regrets about the choices he made.

“I spent 20 years away from the US and got to explore Pakistan and Bangladesh,” he adds.  “My career also took me to Panama and Mozambique.” Over the years, Danilowicz has managed to break the language barrier. A polyglot fluent in Bengali, Spanish and Portuguese, he is currently taking Pashto lessons from a private tutor.

“I am grateful to have a patient tutor with low expectations,” he quips.

What lies ahead?

The US consul voices optimism for the future of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal belt.

“In the past, Peshawar and Kabul were frequent destinations for my colleagues,” he says. “Militancy has imposed travel restrictions on most US state department officials. More often than not, we find ourselves restricted to the US facility in Peshawar.”

Nonetheless, Danilowicz believes the security situation in the city has improved significantly and insists young people are the torchbearers for the future. “I have conducted various outreach programmes with university students,” he explains. “I have noticed their optimism and desire to bring change.”

Danilowicz claims the US consulate in Peshawar provided valuable assistance during the local government elections held on May 30.

“It’s not our job to make news,” he says, “But we would like everyone to know the US cares about what’s happening in the province and the tribal areas.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2015.