LAHORE: Ali Jahangir Siddiqui’s appointment as Pakistan’s new ambassador to the United States (US) has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday.
A petition filed in the LHC contends that the appointee doesn’t have the prerequisite experience to serve as an ambassador to the US, hence the court should immediately declare Siddiqui’s appointment as null and void.
The petition further stated that the appointment has been made without consulting the federal cabinet.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi approved the appointment of Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, son of prominent businessman Jahangir Siddiqui, as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States.
Ali has been serving Abbasi as a special assistant, advising the prime minister on economic and business matters.
Siddiqui is chairman of JS Bank Ltd and son of stockbroker-turned-banker Jahangir Siddiqui. He has previously been a director in Airblue — which is also connected to the prime minister’s family — Lucky Cement, Azgard Nine, and numerous other companies. In 2014, he was honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
He will replace Aizaz Chaudhry in Washington, a career diplomat who previously served as a foreign secretary before being appointed the ambassador to the US.
It is common sense that one gives such a high post to an extremely highly qualified career diplomat . After all such people spend their life time giving services to their country and when a peach job comes a person comes out of the shadow and takes it. What a travesty of justice. Yes i understand some posts can be given to non career diplomats but not this one!
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