2023 means diplomatic business

2023 is going to be less challenging for diplomats in Pakistan than in 2022. The last year was very strained for diplomats as regional and Pakistan internal conflicts were at their peaks.

Taliban took over Kabul by the end of 2021 and its diplomatic fallout began engulfing the world at the start of 2022. This crisis coincided with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Imran Khan, then prime minister of Pakistan, was the only world leader present in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying “What a time I have come. So much excitement.”  It was a decisive moment for the world leaders, who all got together to contain Russia.

The third big crisis to handle for diplomats in Islamabad was the removal of the PTI  government exactly a month or so after Imran Khan’s fateful visit to Moscow.

Pakistan’s effectiveness is set off where formal diplomatic channels seized to function. The US, of all countries, is appreciative of Pakistan’s effectiveness.

Back in 2002, when the US invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 attack on Twin Towers, Pakistan proved its mettle in diplomacy by running the affairs of Afghanistan.

At that time, most media people and diplomats stayed at Mariott Hotel in Islamabad. The office of CNN was also set up there.

Twenty years later in the last week of December 2022, the US Embassy in Islamabad issued a warning to its citizens to avoid this hotel which can be a target of terrorists.

This hotel surrounds a lot of controversies and has survived terrorist attacks in the past too.

However, when the fallout of the Taliban takeover of Kabul began showing its marks in the shape of a total diplomatic collapse, all the EU member states and the US and allies were beholden to Islamabad to help them get their diplomats out of Afghanistan. They also requested PIA to evacuate their staff citing security concerns.

However, all this cooperation did not stop them from issuing a joint statement asking Pakistan to condemn Russia for invading Ukraine in a special session of the UN General Assembly.

I was among the first writers to point out that other regional powers like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc. also did not make the condemnation but the European diplomats did not issue any joint statement in their capitals.

The third big challenge for EU diplomats was the initiation of the process to grant Pakistan GSP+ status, which enables the country to export its products at concessional rates to Europe. This favour is granted to the poorest nations in return for international protocols meant to protect human rights. In the case of Pakistan, the number of these protocols is 27. The EU had upped the ante for Pakistan this time by demanding that the industrial units where export material was produced should also follow some of these protocols.

Industrial growth was already affected by the stringent measures the country had to take to get out of the FATF grey list. GSP+ measures were seen as an added burden.

In 2022, the US, Germany, Norway, EU, Denmark, the Netherlands and other important countries sent new ambassadors to Islamabad as per the set official procedure. Having gone through big challenges at the start of their four-year careers, this set of diplomats will have more time to focus on the issues of climate change and renewable energy in 2023 to make the world a better place for the generations to come. I believe that they will be able to move beyond taking selfies on Margalla Hills trails to show their commitment to environmental protection. Bol News wishes all the diplomats in Islamabad a very happy new year.

The writer is an ICFJ fellow and teaches mediatisation at International Islamic University, Islamabad