The Association of Former Ambassadors – in a message to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – has said that members of the association have noted with regret the unfortunate episode relating to a letter attributed to former high commissioner Abdul Basit in New Delhi.
“The contents of the letter appear to have been prompted by personal differences between two officers of the Foreign Services. The language and tone of the letter was upsetting and the members were of the view that it should not have been written or made public,” the message said.
Such episodes clearly add to the difficulties of the Foreign Office, which is faced with so many challenges in the region and globally. “We wish to express our solidarity with you and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has performed admirably in dealing with challenges confronting Pakistan in an extremely difficult global environment,” the message said.
“We greatly appreciate and stand in solidarity with the members of the Foreign Office at the headquarters and in Pakistan’s missions abroad in carrying out their onerous responsibilities,” it said. “We are confident that this episode will not detract you and the Foreign Office from your primary responsibility,” they said.
“We must all work together to enhance the capacity and protect the integrity of our institution, which we have served with great pride in our lifelong commitment to our beloved country,” the associations said.
