20000410

Recall of

envoys posted on

political grounds

lauded

RAWALPINDI: Mian Habib Ullah, former president, FPCCI has lauded the action taken by the Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf by recalling some of the ambassadors who were posted on political grounds by the previous regimes.

He said "we have ambassadors in some of the countries like Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, the Gulf and Middle East with whom we have no sizeable commercial ties or even little future business prospects. "In such countries Pakistan's diplomatic missions could be headed by charge d' affaires.

Pakistan should also appoint Honorary Counsellors to look-after our business interests in such countries. It will save precious foreign exchange. He said today is the era of economic war and to earn more and more dollars for the country through exports. A small country like Taiwan with a small population is one of the largest exporters in the world. Pakistan should follow the policies adopted by Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Thailand to develop medium and small industry in the country to week out unemployment and earn foreign exchange.

It is also suggested that in countries where Pakistan have import and export interests, ambassador/charge d' affaires rather good businessmen, bankers, persons having experience with a qualification of MBA be also given a chance to head the missions or be taken as commercial counsellors and they should be given a target, this would help to increase the exports.

Pakistan should concentrate by sending more and more people not only labour class but also technical persons to tackle the manpower export declining trend.

Mian Habib said he had been told that some of the charge d'affaires were doing a marvelous job. A business delegation, which has just returned from some of these Western capitals, which were earlier headed by ambassadors, spoke very high about the performance of the Pakistani missions.

He suggested that the ambassadors should be appointed to the important countries of the world, with concurrent accreditation to the other countries in the region.

The introduction of financial discipline in the foreign office will curtail the unnecessary expenses in the missions. The ban by General Pervez Musharraf on the purchase of luxury vehicles and stay at five star hotels by the high-ups including the heads of missions abroad is highly commendable.

He further stressed that the survival of Pakistan depends on the improvement in balance of trade by means of maximising value-added exports, restricting imports to such fields where in technical know-how is brought. Self-sufficiency in agriculture produce and inculcate habits to be Pakistani and buy Pakistani.ÑPR