WASHINGTON: The Pakistan government awaits US government approval overappointment of new Ambassador to US Ali Jahangir Siddiqui.
US has not yet released the agrément for Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, aKarachi-based businessman who was designated the new Pakistani envoy toWashington in March.
An agrément is the approval of a diplomatic representative by the state towhich he or she is to be accredited. Pakistan had sent relevant papers tothe US State Department almost two months ago and is now waiting for theagrément, DAWN has reported.
Diplomatic norms do not allow a host government to tell another governmentwho to send as ambassador, but they also place no obligation on the hostgovernment to approve the appointment.
In early March, the federal government announced in Islamabad that itplanned to appoint Siddiqui as Ambassador to US.
Media reports claimed that the order for Mr Siddiqui’s appointment camedirectly from Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Mr Siddiqui was specialassistant to PM on economic and business affairs before his new assignmentwas announced.
He is also chairman of JS Bank Ltd, which is owned by his father JahangirSiddiqui.
Mr Ali Jahangir has previously been a director in Airblue, which is alsoconnected to the prime minister’s family.
His new assignment has been challenged in various courts in Pakistan whileopposition parliamentarians in both the National Assembly and the Senatehave also rejected it.