Ali Jahangir Siddiqui takes charge as Pakistan's Ambassador to US

WASHINGTON: Ali Jahangir Siddiqui took charge as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States on Tuesday. 

Siddiqui, who arrived in Washington, DC Monday night for his swearing-in, replaced outgoing Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry, the former foreign secretary who served as Pakistan's envoy to the US before his retirement last month.

He was welcomed at the airport by Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, the deputy chief of Pakistan Mission to the US.

Siddiqui has assumed office just a few days ahead of the completion of the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government's term.

The US Department of State took almost two months — otherwise, a routine — to send out an agreement to pave the way for the new ambassador's appointment.

Siddiqui has to present his credentials to US President Donald Trump in the coming weeks to be fully operational to perform his duties. He has daunting challenges to surmount ahead as well, given the souring US-Pakistan ties.

Siddiqui, an investment banking expert by profession, was appointed by the federal government as Pakistan's ambassador to the US last month. He has previously served in the capacity of special assistant to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, with the status of a state minister.

Prior to his appointment in the prime minister's cabinet, he served as the chairman of JS Bank and JS Private Equity — both held by Jahangir Siddiqui & Co. Ltd., the parent company owned by his father, renowned businessman and banker Jahangir Siddiqui.

Siddiqui, who holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics from Cornell University, was honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader in 2014.

US-Pakistan ties

On May 11, 2018, the Trump administration imposed travel restrictions on Pakistani diplomats stationed at the Embassy in Washington, confining them to a 25-mile radius and making it obligatory for them to seek permission at least five days in advance if they wish to travel beyond the imposed limits.

Pakistan, in return, also imposed similar bans.

US State Secretary Mike Pompeo told local lawmakers last week that "our State Department officials are being treated badly as well".

"[Our people] working in the embassies and in the consulates and in other places are not being treated well by the Pakistani government either," he claimed. 

Though Pompeo called it "a real problem," the Department of State said: "It is the responsibility of all host governments to create the conditions necessary to permit the personnel of foreign embassies to carry out their duties."

Acknowledging the movement restrictions it had placed on Pakistani diplomats, the US State Department said: "The controls are intended to encourage Pakistan to stop [the] harassment of US Mission personnel and interference with our public activities, which have risen dramatically in recent months."

Trump earlier this year announced that his administration intended to cut down financial assistance to Pakistan. This came after months of comments and statements against Islamabad by the US president, who, in his first televised speech late last year, said it needed to "do more".

"With respect to Pakistan, we [have] released far fewer funds in 2018 than in the year prior. The remainder of the funds available are under review.

"My guess is that that number will be smaller still," Pompeo commented earlier.

Last year, Trump accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorist outfits, and demanded that action be taken against the Haqqani network.

Given the aforementioned issues, Ambassador Siddiqui faces a tough task in the coming months to bring to normalcy Islamabad-Washington relations and resume bilateral alliance in various fields.