Confronted with an aggravating foreign policy crisis, the government of Pakistan has convened a three-day conference of Pakistani envoys in key capitals and multilateral fora for charting a way out.
The envoys’ conference, which begins today, is being attended by nine ambassadors -  Jalil Abbas Jilani (Washington);  Maleeha Lodhi (United Nations, New York); High Commissioner Abdul Basit (New Delhi); Masood Khalid (Beijing); Qazi Khalilullah (Moscow);  Tehmina Janjua (United Nations-Geneva and Conference on Disarmament); Nagmana Hashmi (Brussels and EU); Ayesha Riyaz (Vienna and International Atomic Energy Agency) and Abrar Hussain (Kabul).
This would be the third such conference during the current government’s tenure and would focus on “critical issues in foreign policy”, according to a source.
The previous two were on the Middle East and regional connectivity.
The issues that would be taken up during the event include relations with the US, India (especially in the context of Kashmir uprising), Afghanistan, China, Russia and the European Union; the upcoming Saarc summit; membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and disarmament affairs; terrorism, and UN-related matters.
“It would be a serious and comprehensive review of the foreign policy and the challenges we are facing with a view to redefining and recalibrating our policy responses,” a source said.
Barring a couple of success stories, the foreign policy fiasco has pushed the country into international isolation.
The deliberations would also be important from the perspective of the upcoming presidential elections in the US and major international realignments currently under way.
“A new cold war between the US and China has started. Other countries are realigning accordingly. The strategic transformation has made it clear that we have to align with China.
Relations with Russia also need to be improved,” says ambassador Zameer Akram, former permanent representative at the UN in Geneva.
While the envoys and the Foreign Office top brass brainstorm on the problems and strategy for climbing out of isolation, probably no one would be talking about the fundamental issues causing the paralysis in foreign policy functioning the absence of a full-time foreign minister, duality at the top in the FO hierarchy, diminished role of the foreign secretary, and the military’s involvement in decision making and implementation.
The conference would be addressed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.
The participants would also receive briefings from military and ISI officials.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s envoy in Dhaka, Shuja Alam, is also in Islamabad for consultations.