ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday came under fire for picking Prime Minister’s aide and business partner Ali Jahangir Siddiqui as the ambassador to the United States — a country with which ties are going through a complex and challenging phase.

The media came to know about Mr Siddiqui’s appointment through sources. It has, however, not been officially announced and as per diplomatic protocols it would not be announced till the diplomatic consent — agrément — is received from the US.

Mr Siddiqui would replace the incumbent Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry, who reached the age of superannuation at the end of last month.

Ambassador Chaudhry had taken up the Washington posting in March 2017. He had originally been posted there for three years and apparently the government was then aware about his impending retirement.

PPP, PTI assail government decision

“This is an administrative matter. I don’t have details regarding Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry,” Foreign Office spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal said at the weekly media briefing.

In what looks to be a sudden change of heart, the government decided not to give extension to Ambassador Chaudhry. He is continuing in position till the new ambassador takes over.

More curiously, the government is changing horses in midstream amid a crisis in Pak-US ties that aggravated with the announcement of the Trump administration’s policy on South Asia and Afghanistan. At the same time, the government had helplessly watched losing charge of the dialogue with US for fixing the problems in ties, which according to the FO, was continuing outside public view.

The JS group, a major brokerage and investment banking firm headed by Mr Siddiqui’s father Jahangir Siddiqui, had organised the Pakistan Investment Conference in the US in October/November last year which was attended by business executives of 15 major corporate entities from Pakistan and senior government figures. The conference, it is believed, helped pitch Mr Siddiqui’s candidature for the position.

Mr Siddiqui is considered a novice in the diplomatic arena. He is currently serving as the prime minister’s special assistant on investment. He got the job, which is equivalent in status to a minister of state, last August.

Senator Salim Mandviwalla, former finance minister during the Pakistan Peoples Party government, had on Mr Siddiqui’s appointment as special assistant tweeted: “JS (Jahangir Siddiqui) group invested $20m in AirBlue last week, today his son Ali Siddiqui became PM’s advisor. Good going.”

The JS group’s involvement with Airblue dates back to 2006 and Mr Siddiqui is a director on the airline’s board. Mr Siddiqui has also held positions for the JS group.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has also criticised the government’s decision. PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry questioned Mr Siddiqui’s credentials describing his appointment as the worst example of nepotism. He said the kind of problems faced by the country in US ties required an experienced and a visionary envoy in Washington.

PPP vice president Sherry Rehman, who has also served as ambassador to the US, said the change was taking place at a critical juncture and she was not sure if it could help in stabilising the ties.

“This is an extraordinary move at such a sensitive time in Pak-US ties. The ambassador’s post in Washington is a crucial one, and it needs someone with foreign policy acumen and insight. I am amazed at this sudden and arbitrary move for such an important post,” she said.

The story about the replacement of the ambassador became public as Ambassador Chaudhry was conducting Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua’s visit to Washington.

“The visit of the foreign secretary is part of our continued engagement with the US, and is reflective of our desire to find common ground for working together with the US side and the effort to achieve our objective in Afghanistan i.e. peace and stability,” the FO spokesman said.

“The meeting that the foreign secretary will be having with her American interlocutors will provide an opportunity to exchange views in this regard,” he added.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2018