ONE of the most unfortunate elements of the political crisis that has led to the fall of the PTI government is the politicisation of diplomacy and the working of the Foreign Office by former prime minister Imran Khan.

The so-called cable controversy has not only cast a dark shadow over our important relationship with the United States, it has also made diplomats vulnerable to unnecessary political exposure. Mr Khan, unfortunately, chose a disastrous course by inventing a threat where apparently none existed. This was substantiated by the fact that the National Security Committee, while objecting to the language of the letter, made no mention of any conspiracy by the US to oust Mr Khan from office.

Till his very last moments in office, Mr Khan kept insisting that he was a victim of this conspiracy, but it is now increasingly clear that he was basing his political narrative on what was a routine cable by Pakistan’s then ambassador to the US, detailing the contents of his meeting with an American official.

Read: Ill-advised brinkmanship

In an attempt to fuel his political narrative, Mr Khan has done grievous damage to Pakistan’s diplomacy and diplomats. His foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi cannot escape the blame. In fact, he should share the bulk of it. As the country’s top diplomat, it was his responsibility to explain to Mr Khan the absolute folly of politicising the Foreign Office for his narrow interests.

Mr Qureshi should have ensured that he injected sanity into a needless controversy and protected not just the ministry he presided over but also the diplomats whose job it is to send honest and credible reports to the headquarters. Instead, Mr Qureshi did the opposite. He pushed this faulty and dangerous narrative and undermined his own ministry for narrow partisan advantages. It is unfortunate that the then prime minister and foreign minister compromised the country’s vital interests, instead of protecting them.

It is hoped that they stand chastened and the right lessons have been learnt. It did not, however, help matters when opposition figures also jumped into the fray. It was inadvisable for PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif to wade into these muddy waters and make unsubstantiated allegations about the ambassador in the US being rushed off to another posting to keep him away from being questioned about his cable. He went abroad on a normal schedule and there was nothing improper about this. The new government should handle the matter with care.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2022