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‘You have been Pakistan’s worst ever Foreign Secretary’
Islamabad, Aug 29 (IANS) A scathing letter allegedly written by Abdul Basit, former Pakistan envoy to India, to Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Islamabad’s current ambassador to the US, has surfaced online, in which Basit has criticised the latter’s tenure as Foreign Secretary as “the worst ever”, according to Dawn News.
“The more I think the more I am convinced that you have been the worst Foreign Secretary ever,” Basit wrote in the letter, dated July 5, 2017, a copy of which has been circulating on social media.
Sources in the Foreign Office confirmed to DawnNews that the letter is authentic.
Basit preferred to take early retirement after he reportedly lost out as Foreign Secretary to Tehmina Janjua and as Pakistan’s envoy to the US to Chaudhry. He was replaced earlier this month by Sohail Mahmood, who has taken over as High Commissioner to India.
Basit had written the acerbic letter in response to Chaudhry’s farewell letter which he wrote after being appointed the ambassador to the United States.
Basit also expressed concern in his letter that Chaudhry would end up being “the worst Pakistan Ambassador in Washington D.C”.
The ex-ambassador then went on to list the reasons behind his critique of Chaudhry: while alleging that Chaudhry was not made for the “delicate profession of diplomacy”. Basit cited two incidents as example – the joint statement issued after a meeting in the Russian city of Ufa between ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in 2015, and Pakistan’s failure to get re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The Ufa joint statement had been criticised at the time for being the first Prime Minister-level joint statement in which Kashmir was not specifically mentioned. Later in 2015, Pakistan suffered diplomatic humiliation after losing in a bid for re-election to the UNHRC, forcing the Foreign Office to do some introspection and look for the causes. The defeat was shocking because it was the first time that Pakistan had lost a major election at the UN, DawnNews reported.
Basit wrote in the letter, “it is more worrisome [that], your heart is not in the right place”.
Basit said it was in Pakistan’s interest that Chaudhry is removed from his post as the envoy to the US. Failing that, he said, Chaudhry should not be given an extension beyond his superannuation in 2018.
“May God help Pakistan when people like you […] are at such important positions,” Basit said.
Despite repeated attempts by DawnNews, Basit did not respond to telephone calls made to seek a comment on the letter.
Before being appointed ambassador to the US, Chaudhry had been Foreign Secretary since December 2013 and also served as spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry.
Basit had been tipped to succeed former Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani as the head of the diplomatic service. However, the PML-N government changed its plans at the last minute and instead made him High Commissioner to India, another very important diplomatic assignment in the Foreign Service.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.