WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador in the Washington D.C, Sardar Masood Khan is reportedly confused on how to run the diplomatic affairs since sudden change of government in Islamabad has put him in a strange situation.
Former President of the AJK Sardar Masood was appointed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan with a hope to build good relations with the Biden Administration but change of guards in Islamabad threw him into an awkward position where he has no idea what kind of policy he needs to maintain in the capital.
In his recent visit to Houston, where he spent a couple of days, he was heard talking about it openly. He along with other high level Pakistani diplomats, are confused over the rapid changes in Islamabad.
“First Imran Khan’s statements got us in trouble, then his anti-American campaigns and now coalition of different political parties in the Federal government is trying to impose their respective agendas, ” a businessman in Houston shared Sardar Masood Khan, telling a private gathering.
There is no doubt that Pakistani diplomats were in embarrassing situation after the Imran Khan’s outbursts against US. At times they had to avoid American officials since it was difficult for them to defend their premier. Change of government gave them little space to breath but now leg pulling between PPP and PML N’s over some Foreign Policy matters have once again put them under tremendous pressure.
Sources in Pakistan’s diplomatic community confirmed the reports of rifts in “Foreign Policy” as foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s policy does not match with the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s.
“This is the reason the Ambassador is not making high level engagements in D.C, because he has nothing to say, ” a senior diplomat told this scribe.
The Pakistani businessman in Houston who shared the Ambassador’s situation, was of the view that Pakistan needs to send an envoy in Washington, who has the ability to take pressure in such situations.
For the last three years relations between Pakistan and the United States are at the lowest level and nothing has been done to make it better.
Pakistan needs dramatic changes to push its agenda into America’s political and diplomatic circles. For that, Pakistan’s caucus also needs to be activated. The level of interest of Pakistan’s origin advocacy groups and “think tanks” is also miserable as in a recent show in D.C a group, claimed to be the biggest one in the territory, failed to pull any significant number of congressmen and policy makers.
No one is trying to find the real reasons for the failure of Pakistan’s agenda in the United States but like always “blame game” is the favorite topic.
To discuss all these topics many efforts were made to reach out to Pakistan’s Ambassador Sardar Masood Khan, but it was conveyed by the media department that he is not ready for media interviews, reasons better known to him.
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