No legal bar on appointment of non-diplomat as US envoy: Asif

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif told the Senate Wednesday that there was no constitutional or legal bar on appointment of a non-diplomat as ambassador to the United States.

The minister there was no case against Ali Jahangir Siddiqui in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or anywhere else. Under 20 percent quota, he pointed out, the prime minister could appoint a non-diplomat as an ambassador, and in the past as well, such posts were filled by politicians, businessmen, government servants and others.

Khawaja Asif made this statement in the House in response to a calling attention notice by the PTI Senator Samina Saeed, who drew his attention to an inexperienced person as ambassador to US despite the fact that there were allegations against him, which were under investigation.

The minister emphasised that there was no constitutional and legal bar on such appointments. He also denied that there was a constitutional role of the Parliament or its committees in such appointments.

In the United States, the Senate committees confirmed 4,000 posts, whereas it was the executive job here.

However, he added that if a lawmaker wanted such role for the Parliament, an amendment could be moved for the government believed in supremacy of the Parliament. He asserted that on mere assumptions, the person in question could not be presumed as guilty.

The minister also clarified that the prime minister recently visited the United States on a private trip and went through security procedures at the US airport as Shahid Khaqan.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s sister Senator Sadia Abbasi and some other senators from the opposition benches were on their feet, as Senator Samina explained the calling attention notice and alleged that this appointment was made as Ali’s father was his business partner and made massive investment in his airlines.

Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq rose to urge the chair to bring order in the House and wondered for how long, would it require the notice mover to conclude.

She also called the appointment as cronyism and that the new ambassador had zero experience in diplomacy and was totally an inexperienced lad while there was a tension going on with regards to Pakistan-US relations that underscored the need for an experienced diplomat, who could defuse the situation.

“Pakistan had already suffered, as there was no regular foreign minister for four and a half years, while the prime minister was meted out improper treatment at the US airport. I and entire opposition reject his appointment as ambassador to US,” she said.

Earlier, the chair fixed Leader of Opposition Sherry Rehman’s adjournment motion on the Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to operationalise new Islamabad International Airport with effect from April 20, for today (Thursday).

She said the Public Accounts Committee had debated alleged embezzlement in the multi-billion project in its meeting earlier in the day, while the project initiated with a cost of Rs37 billion had exceeded Rs100 billion and that no PPRA rules were followed in floating tenders.

Meanwhile, the Senate passed a unanimous resolution against the recent bombing of a religious seminary in Kunduz province of Afghanistan in which over 80 innocent children were martyred.

The resolution was moved by the JUI-F Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman. The House expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and people of Afghanistan.