Pakistani diplomats doing a great job, says PM Imran Khan after backlash

• PM Imran Khan clarifies his remarks over Pakistani diplomats.
• Says the ambassadors are doing a great job in promoting the country’s good image abroad.
• Former envoys express anger over "public castigation". 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan retracted on Tuesday his public criticism of Pakistani diplomats, saying the Foreign Office was doing a great job, especially in highlighting the Kashmir issue at different forums across the world.

The clarification came from the prime minister during a live Q&A session with the public when he was asked by an expat about the problems faced by overseas Pakistanis and the government’s steps to mitigate them.

A few days back, the prime minister had lambasted the country’s top diplomats for failing to serve the Pakistani diaspora in their respective countries of residence. He had also ordered an inquiry against the envoy in Saudi Arabia for mistreating Pakistani workers.

However, he had to face severe reactions from opposition leaders as well as foreign service personnel who conveyed their anger to the concerned authorities.

Read more: Fawad Chaudhry defends PM Imran Khan's criticism of ambassadors

Revisiting his earlier stance, the premier said that the criticism of ambassadors was aimed at some individuals and his comments should have not gone live.

He said he wanted to make it clear that Pakistan’s embassies and the Foreign Office had rendered great services in promoting the country’s good image abroad and raising the Kashmir issue at the relevant forums.

PM Khan said his comments were taken as if he was criticising the entire Foreign Office, which was not true. He said he was appreciative of the good work of Pakistan embassies abroad.

Qureshi blames India for creating ‘a storm in a teacup’

Speaking on the issue separately, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said he believed that everything was fine at that event where the prime minister spoke about the ambassadors.

However, whatever was said should have not been publicised in a negative manner.

Read more: Pakistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia recalled after reports of 'mistreatment'

The foreign minister said Pakistan’s opponent countries, especially India, blew the issue out of proportion and created a storm in a teacup over it.

He said there should be no ambassador bashing at all, and they should be respected for the great services they were rendering for the country.

Ex-ambassadors dismayed over public criticism

Inamul Haque, president of the Association of Former Ambassadors, said in a letter to the prime minister that the public reprimand of ambassadors “was ill-advised and reflected a lack of understanding of the work that our diplomatic missions are performing despite major constraints and impediments”.

Haque had told the premier in his letter that the association, comprising more than 100 retired officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “has noted with dismay your public castigation of the Pakistan embassies in a televised address to Pakistani ambassadors abroad”.

The letter said: “There are always some lapses in any organisation. These should be rectified and those responsible for any transgression must be held to account after a thorough and full inquiry.

“To denounce an entire institution, without a proper and impartial investigation, is unconscionable,” added the letter.