Modern Foreign Missions

By Barrister Amjad Malik

Pakistan is facing multifaceted problems which need a compact policy to deal with the issues in hand. Missions abroad play an instrumental role in spreading the word and they streamline the image of the state overseas. Due to an over 8 million consumer base contributing 13 billion dollars in Pakistan’s economy, it has achieved a significant role in the future of Pakistan’s development as stake holders. Now in order to bridge the gap between host communities, translating trade not aid policy into action and serving the consumer base are the main three  points which must be at forefront when setting and re-evaluating the foreign office future tasks & guidelines. Good governance, corruption free TA, DA practice, and reaching out to communities must be a hall mark of the modern day diplomacy of Pakistan.

Foreign missions must be ready to engage with their local counterparts and sell the product that Pakistan holds dearly and profess faith in it.  They can invite consumers at the doorstep in a welcoming environment and see how their role can be emancipated whereby they churn out revenue for Pakistan and extend our access to European markets. Their role can be manipulated for state advantage only if we wish to honour that due recognition they deserve.

Any mission overseas cannot succeed unless its customer service satisfies the needs of its customers.  A Complaint free system is an idealist approach but receiving and handling all complaints in a polite and efficient manner is the key to solve problems and a way forward too. All missions must have a complaint box fixed at the entrance and they must ensure that the report is looked at by the section in charge every night before going home. The staff at the reception must be armed with public service mindset not colonial Raj style bossy attitude. It is because of the atmosphere and the unwelcoming approach that the young generation in the west feels very reluctant to appear in the missions for the purposes of obtaining visas or renewing their existing travel documents. Instead they prefer and force their parents to renew their documents in an emergency.

Each mission and or their respective Consulate Generals must invite a two dozen of community representatives monthly hailing from various professions (including businesses, religious, teaching, law, medical, skilled persons of significant quality and political forces) in order to allow them to represent their respective area to engage in a dialogue to gauge community problems at home.  Discussions can be made in regards to future challenges and ways to solve them. If each office orchestrated such meetings monthly with 2 dozen leaders over a cup of tea, they will have an experience of taking a view of over 200 people every year and that will set the tone of service delivery and public service initiatives. This will also make this love affair bilateral.

Pakistan needs urgent economic growth, investment and fiscal trade if we wish to embark on a new challenges of showcasing ourselves as traders rather than beggars. GSP plus will only help if the market is properly pursued with quality goods and timely delivery of our orders where we ensure deadlines and targets are met.  It is a must that energy shortage does not hinder meeting the completion dates. Commercial counsellors will have a role to seek investment for Pakistan and use overseas community to initiate initial introduction of Pakistani goods to the European markets. These offices can link local Pakistani chamber of commerce to that of European chambers of commerce and facilitate mutual trade on equality basis. Pakistani goods from small rural areas can be exported to EU trouble free if local partnerships are sought. Pakistani nationals overseas can be a tool to take Pakistani goods to every nook and corner of EU if entrusted, trained and set a challenging task before them. Similarly, foreign investors can be invited to invest in cleared areas in energy, food, tourism, hotel industry or area in which Pakistan is in dire need. Zones can be made like Dubai did where some incentives are introduced to give some protections and dividend to foreign investor. Tax free zones in a safe environment will generate investment and investor friendly image of Pakistan.

Finally increasing radicalisation and extremism is at the core of weakening law and order and the criminal justice system. This is unlike the west who introduced plethora of legislation and administrative measures to protect its integrity and geographical boundaries from foreign invasions directly and indirectly. Hence no further attack took place. War on terror and increasing radicalization on the name of religion (in FATA), and region (in Baluchistan) and or ethnicity (in Karachi)  is a growing concern for Pakistan and international community affecting its image abroad. In order to deter and curb this menace spreading even post Afghan War, a joint collaboration is a must if we ever wish to come close to nail those involved. Internationally a joint cooperation unit must be set up to share intelligence where imminent crimes of violence and extremism resulting hundreds of casualties can be averted. The idea was floated by King Abdullah and UN & USA must take lead to bring that idea to reality, if we are serious.

In Pakistan we have a poor record when it comes to prosecuting foreign terrorists and or home grown ticking bombs. We must Establish writ of state at all costs and weaken the resolve of the outlawed groups hell bent to destroy progressive picture of Pakistan. We must only talk when peaceful settlement is a way forward to administer those areas in a trouble free manner. Pakistan must Snatch foe's fodder by spreading education, development funds and extending political process and the access of supreme court to FATA areas which will make it possible to govern the ungovernable.3 D or 4 E whichever is the name the policy must succeed.

 In my opinion the existing prosecution system is old, and has inbuilt structural flaws including the lack of coherent and direct communication between the on ground intelligence gathering officers, investigating cadre and prosecutors. There is a huge gap of communication and unity of command. Even specialist anti terrorist court judges are confronted with the question of under training, over work and lack of security. Topping it all, witness protection is next to none. We also witnessed that in Karachi people accused of terrorism offences were snatched from the police in a city court compound, same happened in some of the areas in KPK. Above all, like England and USA intelligence community’s high command is reluctant to share vital pieces of intelligence, informers report, sensitive tip offs in order to avoid compromise on their intelligence gathering mechanism as they lack trust on each other. Or shall I say they are aware of the pit falls of the bleak system in which they operate. Keeping in view of these issues we can reform our existing system so that we can bring more prosecutions, double the rate of convictions and sentence freely those involved in terrorism and reach to those masterminds who move their strings.

In UK (SIAC) a Special Immigration Appeals Commission was set up though legislation in 1997, a specialist tribunal adjudicating appeals where a person is considered to be a threat to national security, where most of the proceedings are conducted in camera where all the secret evidence is presented and analyzed. In those hearings no lawyer and or accused is present. That model is successfully working in UK for the last decade and is considered Human Rights compliance in a mother of democracy and a land of human rights, then why can’t Pakistan have a similar system to avoid unnecessary criticism As I have been appearing before that commission for over 10 years, I think Parliament and those stake holders must come up with a joint resolution of this issue to understand the problem we face, and find a solution to defeat it with a solution which is compliant of the constitutional guarantees, upholds law and is need of the hour in order to protect the public and national security of Pakistan from increasing violence and terrorism. An ordinance protecting Pakistan following a legislation proposed in the parliament is a way forward to combat modern challenges.

The challenges are numerous; the job at hand is difficult but an achievable one where Pakistan can show the that we are conservative in style but progressive in mind and understand our challenges and have a strategy to deal with it. We are once determined, can achieve our goal as we achieved nuclear facility, cricketing accolade and professional brilliance overseas. These are some challenges to our nation and our borders and to our image abroad. I know we can do it, only if we can shine our youth and promote the leaders like Jinnah amongst our rank and file.

Barrister Amjad Malik, is a Chair of the Association of Pakistani lawyers (UK)

18 February 2014