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10 missions abroad may be shut down

T A MALIK

ISLAMABAD: The government is considering a proposal to close 10 foreign missions and some commercial, education, labour, information, industries and culture sections of various missions, in its ongoing process of rightsizing and restructuring of foreign affairs.

Sources said that a meeting would be held here by the end of this month under Chief Executive General Pervaiz Musharraf to review the restructuring plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There is a proposal to close 10 missions including Accra (Ghana), Port Louis (Cameroon), Mexico City (Mexico), Warsaw (Poland), Dakar (Senegal), Burne (Switzerland), Dar es Salam (Tanzania), Harare (Zimbabwe), Lisbon and Budapest (Hungry).

Commercial sections of the various missions proposed for closure include Hungry, Kenya, Oman, Russia, Sweden while education sections of Washington D.C, United Kingdom, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Tehran, Kabul and Turkey will also be considered for closure.

Sources said that 15 information sections of the mission have also been proposed to wind up which include Abu Dhabi, Amarhak, Bonn, Canberra, Colombo, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Nairobi, Ottawa, Moscow, Pretoria, Tokyo, Stockholm and Cairo.

The committee has also proposed to close the industries section of Tokyo and the culture section of Australia.

Sources said that the change in the diplomatic scene from open warfare to economic warfare is not addressed adequately and positive points of information are not utilized for the country's benefit.

The committee noted that missions have to be reoriented by rightsizing and there is no option but too partially or fully close some missions.

They said some officers of other ministries are also working in the various sections of missions. All these officers are no longer needed and should be recalled,they added.