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Enigma over envoy

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD May 20. Controversy over the choice of Pakistan's envoy to New Delhi refuses to die down despite the clear indication by the Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, that he has selected Riaz Mohammad Khan, currently serving in Beijing, for the sensitive post.

Within hours of his return from a 10-day tour abroad the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, insisted that no final decision had been taken. "A few names are under consideration and a decision would be taken at the appropriate time," he told reporters.

Mr. Kasuri could not be unaware of the fact that Mr. Jamali had named Mr. Khan as the High Commissioner to India in the course of an interview to an independent producer for Doordarshan.

Observers see Mr. Kasuri's statement as a sign of tussle in the top hierarchy of the Pakistani establishment on who should be the envoy to India at a juncture when both the countries are likely to sit at the dialogue table. Many believe that it certainly does not augur well for the Pakistan Foreign Office and policy.

The categorical manner in which Mr. Jamali has suggested Mr. Khan in the course of the television interview in fact leaves little scope for Mr. Kasuri to push for any other candidate. Of course the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, could intervene in the matter and his would be the last word.

As it is, the Foreign Office is embarrassed over the controversy as Islamabad has neither informally conveyed the decision nor sent the papers to New Delhi seeking an agreement.

On Monday, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, tried to make the best of a bad situation by maintaining that Mr. Jamali has not been quoted "correctly". He stuck to the statement issued by Foreign Office two days ago that "no decision" had yet been taken on the subject.

But now that the interview has been aired, the Foreign Office finds itself in a bind. Faced with a volley of questions from journalists on the topic, Mr. Khan sought to explain that a "certain protocol and procedure" was required to be followed in appointment of an envoy to a foreign country.

Mr. Khan was careful not to put the blame for the controversy on anyone as it has emanated from none other than the Prime Minister and the news was broken by the State run Pakistan Television. "I agree that it is not the mistake of you journalists. But please understand that there is a set procedure for it."

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