Basit’s scathing letter: Don’t believe in hurling insults, says Aizaz Chaudhry

A day after a scathing letter written by Pakistan’s former high commissioner to India Abdul Basit to Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry surfaced in the media, the latter has decided not to respond to the ‘disgusting’ note and leave the matter to Allah Almighty.

“I’ve decided not to respond to this disgusting letter, and leave the matter to the one and only who matters. May Allah be our protector and guide,” Chaudhry told officers of the Pakistani embassy in Washington on Wednesday.
While the diplomat chose not to comment on the contents of the letter, he did, however, say that the communiqué was “too rude and uncalled for”.

“He [Abdul Basit] wrongly thinks that he could not reach the post of foreign secretary because of me. He has since retired. Jealousy has no remedy. I just offered four Qul Surahs [verses], especially Surah Al Falak, and ignored the letter,” he said, adding that he had served Pakistan to the best of his abilities but some people failed to realise that “life is a combination of human endeavour and fate”.

“We have to accept, in humility, what life gives us and then thank the Creator for it. Mischief mongering and mudslinging never pay in the larger scheme of things,” he said.

Abdul Basit on July 5, 2017, sent an official letter to Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry with reference to his valedictory letter as the foreign secretary.

“More I think the more I am convinced that you have been the worst foreign secretary ever,” he wrote in his letter.

He also said that it was in Pakistan’s interest to immediately remove Chaudhry from DC and if not so, then he may not be given extension beyond his superannuation in February 2018.

The unprecedented internal wrangling appears to be linked to Basit being overlooked for the position of foreign secretary twice. He was all set to replace Jalil Abbas Jilani as foreign secretary in 2014, but the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government changed its decision at the last minute and appointed Chaudhry to the coveted position.

Basit was then accommodated by the government when he was appointed as high commissioner to India, considered one of the key diplomatic assignments. Earlier this year, however, he was still hopeful that he would be appointed foreign secretary. Overlooking him again, the government named Tehmina Janjua to the top diplomatic post. This led to the new foreign secretary being junior in rank, yet senior in position forcing Basit to refuse working under her and seeking premature retirement.

Basit’s letter surfaced at a time when Pakistan’s embassy in Washington is busy in developing a counter narrative following the US allegations that Pakistan is harbouring terrorists.

Outlining Washington’s new South Asia strategy on Aug 21, President Donald Trump had accused Pakistan of fanning violence in Afghanistan.

The speech led to the US media lambasting Pakistan, and pushing the country’s embassy in Washington to the front row of Islamabad’s efforts to present a better image of the country before the American public.

A senior diplomatic observer in Washington told a national daily that the letter will not promote Pakistan’s cause.

“Discrediting [Pakistan’s] Ambassador [to the United States] Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry at a time when he is dealing with a very difficult situation is no service to Pakistan.”

“The embassy was already finding it difficult to do so in today’s hostile environment and the letter has further complicated the situation,” he added.