The raging war in Libya has resulted in the embassies of major powers sending their staff back to their countries keeping only skeleton staff there. However, the Pakistani diplomatic staff is stranded in Tripoli without any plan to bring them back home due to paralysed Foreign Office since Mr Shah Mahmood Qureshi has left and no replacement has been announced. The state minister for foreign affairs must be more active to withdraw diplomatic staff from Libya to ward of any eventuality in the wake of a war there.
It appears the war in Libya is going to be a long-drawn affair with no quick solution and our diplomatic staff should not be exposed further to pre-empt any untoward incidents. The Foreign Office is silent as if nothing has happened which apparently is not the case.
Pakistan should act more reasonably and take immediate steps so that the diplomats and the staff can be protected from any harm whatsoever in that region.
MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI
Lahore
