Source: The News

By Qudssia Akhlaque

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan’s removal on Friday has raised many questions as some link his unceremonious ouster to his strong dissent to the PPP-led government’s plan of approaching the UN for an independent international investigation into Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

The Establishment Division on Friday issued two separate notifications dated 25 April 2008.The first regarding the appointment of Salman Bashir, Pakistan’s current ambassador to China, as Foreign Secretary and the other directing the incumbent foreign secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan to report to the Establishment Division.

The outgoing foreign secretary had no prior intimation of these important notifications, as had been the civilized practice in bureaucracy. The notifications, signed off by the Establishment Division’s Deputy Secretary R A Zia, were delivered to the Foreign Secretary’s Office by a dispatch rider around 4.00 pm. A director received it, as the secretary was not in his office at the time. Subsequently a director informed him while he was traveling in his car.

Curiously the notifications coincided with the important bilateral visit of the Chinese foreign minister and it caught the foreign secretary completely off guard. Ironically just a few hours before receiving the notifications Mr Khan wrote a letter to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi requesting him that he be relieved by May 31 after the review meetings of the fourth round of composite dialogue with India. He had cited health and personal reasons for the early exit.

Mr. Riaz Mohammad Khan took a strong exception to the way the whole matter had been handled. Hence it was no surprise when Mr Khan, who has been the pillar of Pakistan-China relations, and previously served as ambassador to China, did not turn up at the dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in honour of his Chinese counterpart at Foreign Office later in the evening. And that is precisely the reason he excused himself from the Chinese foreign minister’s meeting with the president on Saturday morning.

The unexpected notifications on Friday were as much a surprise for Ambassador Salman Bashir as these were for the outgoing foreign secretary. According to informed sources baffled Ambassador Bashir even telephoned his senior colleague Mr Khan late Friday night when he learnt about it.

On Friday evening when the state-run PTV and other private news channels began flashing the news about the appointment of the new foreign secretary with “immediate effect” The News contacted a senior official at the PM Secretariat to inquire about hasty move, he said, “I can assure you this was not the intention of the prime minister or the foreign minister. There must have been some miscommunication and I’m quite sure it will be clarified by tomorrow.” The official insisted that it was a case of ‘sheer mishandling by some baboos’ in the Establishment and that Mr Khan would relinquish charge only around June when Ambassador Salman Bashir returned from Beijing.

The official was mindful of the fact that Riaz Mohammad Khan was needed for the crucial talks with India next month and ruled out the possibility of his leaving before that.

But on Saturday there was no clarification issued and the foreign secretary went to the Foreign Office in the morning but only to wind up and call it a day. Even the foreign minister who personally went to Mr Khan’s room to express his sympathy on his indecent removal and asked him to stay on till end May but he failed to convince him. Mr Khan politely conveyed to him that he had made up his mind and was on his way out. Thus orders were issued late Saturday afternoon announcing the appointment of Acting Special Secretary Abdul Moiz Bokhari as acting foreign secretary. Interestingly just a couple of weeks back this correspondent had learnt through reliable sources that Mr Bokhari was lobbying with the PM’s Principal Secretary to win the office of the foreign secretary. Mr Bokhari had worked with Benazir Bhutto as her Private Secretary during her second term as prime minister. A key Zardari aide, who is seen by many as the architect of the indecently hasty exit of the Foreign Secretary, had suggested that if for some reason Ambassador Salman Bashir could not return to Pakistan by June, Mr Bokhari would be appointed as an acting foreign secretary.

However, observers see this stopgap arrangement as an unwise move given the high importance of this post in the context of foreign policy. Particularly, at a time when Pakistan is about to enter the fifth round of composite dialogue with India and crucial third round of foreign secretary-level Strategic Dialogue with the US, both after the formation of the new government.

It is believed that Riaz Mohammad Khan’s strong dissenting note representing the institutional standpoint on the government’s plan to seek UN-led probe into former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination hastened his exit.

Initially, he had verbally communicated it to the prime minister about a month back and subsequently also submitted a detailed written note. It is learnt that the ruling Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his key aides had been particularly irked by it. This was quite evident by Mr Zardari’s rash remarks in an interview earlier this week against the foreign secretary and Pakistan’s ace diplomat Ambassador Munir Akram, permanent representative to UN, who had also advised against such a move.

In an interview with a private TV channel when his attention was drawn to reservations expressed by foreign secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and Ambassador Munir Akram on the issue a UN-led probe into Ms Bhutto’s killing Mr. Zardari he attacked them, saying, “Munir Akram and all these people are inflexible, lack thinking and if Pakistani bureaucracy and establishment had a vision, Pakistan would not be in the state as it is today.”

The foreign secretary was perhaps mindful of the fact that the axe might fall on him for openly opposing the UN intervention. He had apparently conveyed to the PPP leadership that he would rather leave than support such a move that could prove to be detrimental for Pakistan in the long run. Mr Khan had made it amply clear to the government that going to the UN Security Council for constituting a Commission would bracket Pakistan with countries like Rwanda, Lebanon and former Yugoslavia where UN had set up commissions and he could never support such a step.

Shortly after the formation of the new government Mr Khan had himself indicated that he would like to be relieved before the expiry of his contractual employment in September this year. However, the foreign minister requested him to stay on for the important review meetings of the fourth round of composite dialogue with India scheduled for May in Islamabad. Mr Riaz Mohammad Khan therefore agreed to continue till then.

Meanwhile, he had nominated three names for his successor in order of seniority. On top of the list was present ambassador to Iran, Mr Shafqat Saeed, the second was Ambassador Salman Bashir and the third was Acting Special Secretary Abdul Moiz Bokhari. However, Mr Khan had recommended Ambassador Salman Bashir as the most suitable candidate for this top bureaucratic post in the Foreign Ministry.

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Tags: Assassination, Benazir Bhutto, Riaz Mohammad Khan, Salman Bashir, UN probe