Delay on part of Pakistan to accord formal recognition to the new Libyan government has not only harmed bilateral ties between Islamabad and Tripoli but has also endangered jobs of thousands of Pakistanis working in Libya, and who are now likely to be replaced by Indian workers.
A few days ago Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced in Lahore that Pakistan had decided to recognise the National Transition Council (NTC) government in Libya.
“I took the decision to accord recognition four days ago,” Prime Minister Gilani said while replying to questions from reporters at a function held at the Lahore Press Club. He explained that assessment of the changing situation in Libya took time as it was Pakistan’s consistent policy to avoid interference in affairs of a sovereign state.
However, a diplomatic source said delay on the part of Pakistan in this regard had already caused considerable damage to the ties between Islamabad and Tripoli.
“It was almost a month ago that the new Libyan government conveyed to Pakistan its demand for its recognition and also warned that in case Islamabad did not oblige over 50,000 Pakistanis, who were in Libya at the time of the mass uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, were likely to lose their jobs,” the source revealed. He said the threat by Libyan authorities was not taken seriously by Pakistani authorities who continued with the ‘wait and see policy’ until a few days ago when the prime minister came up with the announcement to accord recognition to the new Libyan government.
The source said even after Gilani’s announcement, the Foreign Ministry was silent as for the follow up and the Libyan authorities were yet to be formally informed about Islamabad’s decision.
The announcement came in the wake of criticism over the delay by the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
Senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar said he had written a letter to the prime minister to press for recognition of the new dispensation in Libya.
In the letter he stated that recognition was needed in the interest of a large number of Pakistani expatriates employed in Libya as there were indications that the NTC could move to substitute Pakistani workers with Indians.
Attempts to reach Foreign Office spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua for comments failed on Wednesday but another Foreign Ministry official admitted that the delay in according recognition to the new Libyan did have a negative impact on the ties between Islamabad and Tripoli.
He said the government had started efforts to normalise ties with the Libyan government so that thousands of Pakistanis could go back to that country and resume their jobs and earn their livelihood.
