ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: The second report of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee identifies serious structural and institutional flaws in Pakistan's foreign missions abroad.

The director-general Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Dr Shireen Mazari, in her on-record submissions in the report refers to a number of loopholes in the foreign policy processes and foreign missions during the committee meeting held in May.

Identifying the lack of cohesion in working of Pakistan's missions abroad, Dr Mazari said the press secretary, economic consular and the ambassadors did not often work in tandem with each other.

"The press secretary has own little dedh inch ki masjid. The economic consular will do his own thing...Everybody does their own thing... where their personal rapport is not established, the ambassador is left by and large on his own..."

Giving a comparative analysis of the working of the Pakistani missions abroad with those of other countries, Dr Mazari said the policy coordination was far better in Indian missions where "everything is coordinated and the ambassador or the high commissioner knows exactly what is happening where and so (the) policy is concerted and coordinated."

The report also identifies lack of funds and appointment of non-professional political appointees as diplomats among major factors contributing to dismal results for foreign office to project Pakistan's cause effectively.

According to the report, Senator Mehtab Abbasi took exception to remarks that politicians could not make the distinction between the state and the government. "I have a very strong difference because you must understand that Pakistan's relationship with India has been mostly military oriented.

It has been directed by the military...But it is a reality that our relationship with India has never been governed by the political will. It has always been directed by the military leadership," said Senator Abbasi.

Pointing out influence of intelligence agencies and the military in foreign policy formulations of different countries, a senior foreign ministry official, Jalil Abbas Jilani, cited a book according to which the then Indian Army Chief Gen VP Malik intervened during the Agra Summit and rang up to tell the Indians that the declaration being worked out between the then foreign ministers Abdul Sattar and Jaswant Singh was not in the interest of India.

"So what my point is that again and I just wanted to prove that there also the military, the army authority, they have a point vis-a-vis Pakistan which has been given a lot of importance," Mr Jilani told the meeting.

Senators Abbasi and Mohammad Latif Khosa contested the version of the officials and the committee chairman Mushahid Hussain that civilians were involved in foreign policy making in Pakistan.

Senator Latif Khosa said, "We are not prepared to buy this because in India the decisions are taken on the political front. They never have been in Pakistan. In fact, Pakistani politicians are totally out of what happens in Kashmir or vis-a-vis the other policies also. Please do not compare that we will not buy that."

Senator Abbassi also challenged the contention of committee chairman Senator Mushahid that initiatives of Shimla, Lahore and the 1989 initiative of Benazir were taken by the civilian leadership. Senator Abbassi said it was on the record that army soldiers were part and parcel of the initiatives.