It was not the flood situation or the dengue scare in the country that led to the cancellation of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s visit to the US, rather it was the Foreign Ministry’s failure to schedule Gilani’s meeting with US President Barack Obama and a last minute caution from the General Headquarters that forced the PM to call off his visit, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday.
A well-placed source said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after having failed to schedule a meeting of the prime minister with the US president, advised him not to undertake this visit, particularly after a warning-message by US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta which reflected that the US was in no mood to give an audience to Pakistan.
“After the diplomatic failure to schedule Gilani’s meeting with Obama and an outburst by US Defence Secretary Panetta, the GHQ advised the PM against his US visit, as it would not be worth it in case the US president did not meet him even on the sidelines of the UN session,” the source said. The source said the US officials might also use the interaction of the prime minister as an opportunity to pass on a tough message to Pakistan to push for a North Waziristan operation.
“Early on Friday morning, the PM chaired a high-level meeting after being advised by the Foreign Ministry against the visit. He also contacted the foreign secretary over the phone and consulted him on the prospects of the US visit,” the source said. The meeting members told the PM that Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had also criticized his Iranian visit, saying the PM and the president were busy in foreign tours while the people in Pakistan were sinking in floodwater.
After consultations, Gilani called Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who was in Dubai, and informed her about his decision. “The PM asked her to represent Pakistan on his behalf at the UN General Assembly session in New York,” the source said. Reportedly, the prime minister had decided to take along five members of his family, including his wife, two sons, a daughter and a grandson. Four cabinet ministers and 10 members of parliament, as well as four senior officials were to be part of the delegation accompanying Gilani to New York.
Gilani’s decision had swollen the size of the entourage to almost 80 people, including 13 members of the media who were to travel and stay at state expense.
Was it really the floods, Mr PM?
