ISLAMABAD: Opposition members on Friday during the National Assembly (NA) proceedings protested Ali Jahangir Siddiqui’s appointment as Pakistan’s new ambassador to the United States (US).
A heated debate ensued among members of the opposition and ruling party when the prime minister (PM)’s appointment of Ali Jahangir Siddiqui came under discussion in the House.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s Sassi Palijo questioned the appointment and if it had anything to do with the appointee’s affiliation with the PM. “Was Ali Jahangir appointed solely on the basis of his association with the prime minister?” she questioned.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shafqat Mahmood demanded the government to provide an explanation as to why an inexperienced person was appointed to the coveted post and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)’s chief Siraj-ul-Haq questioned: “Why wasn’t the appointment made on the basis of merit?”
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Tahira Aurangzeb defended the prime minister’s decision to appoint Ali Jahangir.
“The prime minister must have noticed some quality in Ali Jahangir which is why he appointed him as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States,” she said. “If an educated person from the business class is appointed as an ambassador then why should anyone have a problem with that?”, the treasury lawmaker stated.
