June 17, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 16: The Foreign Office on Friday remained tight-lipped on the key question of whether Pakistan would field a candidate for the top UN slot which will fall vacant on December 31 when incumbent secretary-general Kofi Annan’s second and final term ends. Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam when contacted by Dawn was non-committal on the question. On the names being mentioned from Pakistan for the top post of the world body, she said: “These are speculations. I am not in a position to confirm or deny.”

When her attention was drawn to a reported statement by Munir Akram, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, that Islamabad too had been giving serious consideration to fielding a candidate, her response was: “He did not say that. Statements are just being attributed to him.”

While there is no official word yet, names of Munir Akram and Dr Nafis Sadiq, former head of the UN Population Fund, who is currently UN secretary-general’s special envoy on HIV/AIDS, are in circulation in this regard.

However, in a telling comment on Pakistan’s position on India’s nominee for the top UN post and a veiled message to New Delhi, Ms Aslam categorically stated: “We don’t want Asia divided, we want consensus in Asia.” Also, in a hint that Pakistan may not enter the race, she said there were already three nominations from Asia with Sri Lanka, Thailand and South Korea having earlier announced their candidates.

By UN convention it is now Asia’s turn to lead the world body as the position rotates by geographic region.

With the Indian announcement of its official candidate Shashi Tharoor, the UN undersecretary-general, there are now four official contenders from Asia. The others are South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki-moon, top Sri Lankan diplomat Jayanatha Dhanapala and deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Suriakiart Sathirathai, who is said to Asean’s consensus candidate.