ISLAMABAD, Sept 2: The Foreign Office is these days gripped with intense discussion about the growing number of ambassadors-at-large appointed by the government.

These appointees have been given no specific task, but are enjoying the status and perks that go with the job.

A significant portion of private discussion among the country’s senior diplomats at the Foreign Office revolves around how many more of these political appointees would join them in coming days.

Questions are also being raised about their utility as most of them lack skills needed in international diplomacy.

Although the purpose of having a large team of ambassadors at large is still shrouded in mystery, there is a growing perception that by having a fairly large number of them, the government may be attempting to do diplomacy through unofficial means instead of the Foreign Office channel.

The fear is not quite misplaced as two of the appointees have already been given offices, staff and other facilities in the Foreign Office and the remaining could soon be getting similar facilities.

Currently there are seven ambassadors-at-large, the highest number of such appointees in the history of the country, but there are at least two more personalities – Mr Hussain Haqqani and Mr Salman Farooqi—who were initially given this status, but were later elevated to the positions of ambassador to Washington and the deputy chairman of Planning Commission respectively.

Mr Haqqani was probably the first among the ambassadors-at-large appointed by this government to have set up a proper office in the Foreign Office.

Traditionally a maximum of two such appointments were made by the government, conferring this position on diplomats of a high calibre.

Those presently holding this position are Mr Mohammad Karim Khan Agha, Mr Nasir Ali Khan, Mr Khalid Ahmed, Mr Zia Ispahani, Mr Sharif-ud-Din Pirzada, Mr Hameed Kidwai and Mr Javed Malik, the latest appointee.

Three of them—Mr Malik, Mr Agha and Mr Khan—have been appointed in BPS – 21. Mr Agha and Mr Khan are the two ambassadors-t-large currently having offices in the Foreign Office and have been given official vehicles.

The perks and privileges given to the other four appointees are not clear. Additionally, the ambassadors-at-large get diplomatic passports. Mr Ahmed also enjoys the status of a federal minister.

Four of the appointees are men of distinction in their fields. Sharifuddin Pirzada needs no introduction, Javed Malik is a TV anchor, Zia Isphani is a former ambassador to Switzerland and Hameed Kidwai was a prominent figure in the Mehran Bank case of the early 1990s. The other three are relatively unknown. Sources in the PPP say they are party loyalists.Foreign Office Spokesman Mr Mohammad Sadiq told Dawn that the ambassadors-at-large could be given special foreign policy assignments.

He had earlier in a regular media briefing elaborated their job specification, saying they had been assigned special duties by the government in the conduct of foreign relations.