ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: The institutional paralysis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that started in the middle of last year is continuing despite the belated announcement of a posting plan.

Many of the officers posted out haven’t joined their missions as yet. Moreover, many of the officers posted at choice positions are overstaying well beyond their tenure, while key positions at several other stations have been lying vacant for long now.

As a result, morale among the officers is at an all time low and logistical/administrative problems have reached a crescendo.

A dejected officer at the Foreign Office blamed Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir for the situation saying he is too busy to manage careers of officers. He feared that the Foreign Service could lose its charm if the situation persists.

The way things are moving forward at snail’s pace is apparent from the fact that though foreign ministry belatedly announced a posting plan after a lot of hue and cry a month ago, but even today, ambassadorial seats remain vacant at vital capitals like Tokyo.

No one has been posted as consul general in Jalalabad, another important position keeping in view the increased Indian activities on the Pakistan-Afghan border.

Moreover, consul general in Mazar-i-Sharif has overstayed his posting. He has been there since July 2003. A second secretary in Beirut has been there since May 2005 and still there are no plans for his replacement. First secretary in Austria is enjoying without any plans of returning although his replacement was named almost a year ago. The ambassador at Vienna has been on posting since March 2001; whereas many ambassador level officers are languishing at headquarters.

The maximum stay at a station for a diplomat is three years.

Missions like Australia have been without a second in command for the last two years. The post of second secretary is lying vacant in Bosnia since last August.

In Brazil the ambassador’s position has been vacant since July 2008 and a second secretary is officiating as ambassador; who himself has spent more than three years. Mission in Cambodia is without officer and ambassador is left with no choice but to do things below his level. Same is the case in Chile where ambassador was sent without diplomatic officer. An officer was posted but he refused due to his clout and volunteers were looked down upon by the foreign secretary.

There are instances where an officer serving an A-class station was given another A-class station because of political connections despite the tradition being that no officer serves consecutive two A-class missions.

Pakistan high commission at Delhi has also seen many stalwarts who are considered indispensable, among them are the head of chancery (HOC) and the first secretary who have served more than three years there. But, still their replacement is not planned.

Iran is another country where HOC is working at a stretch from 2004 and would not be replaced in near future because there is no such plan. Consul in Mashhad is there since May 2005 and spent more than three years stipulated tenure still untouched.

Economic Cooperation Organization secretariat in Tehran employs people on four years term but one of the Pakistani officers is there since last five years and no replacement is anticipated.

First secretary in Rome has been there since September 2005 and has also overstayed his tenure. Ambassador in North Korea has completed his tenure and would stay there since the FO hasn’t announced a replacement for him. The post of ambassador at Kuwait is vacant for the last one year.

The deputy high commissioner in Malaysia has completed his tenure in October but due to unavailability of foreign secretary no substitute could be sent in time.

The seat of high commissioner in Maldives is vacant and an OMG officer is running the mission. Third secretary has completed his tenure in Mauritius but availing his grace period. The most interesting thing is the continuous posting of an officer for five years at Yangon and still no replacement is pondered. Another striking instance is the posting of a well-connected lady at the Netherlands for five years. Diplomatic officers are not posted in Niger and the mission is left to OMG people.

Muscat is considered as one of the prized postings and an officer posted there since September 2005 hasn’t been replaced as yet. Manila has not received officer since last year.

The first secretary in Poland is overstaying his three years tenure and same is the case in Qatar.

Saudi Arabian mission is one of the prime posts of diplomacy but the FO has not posted consular since 2007. The posting of first secretary was due since July 2008 but no such appointment is in pipeline.

Ambassador in Senegal returned from the posting in early 2008 and the mission since then has been run by a non-gazetted officer.

In Singapore the ambassador has been on the posting since 2004. He is abroad since 1999 as per FO green book, which is the official record of diplomats’ postings. His second in command in Singapore has also on foreign posting since last seven years.

Madrid, one of the most important world capitals due to high concentration of Pakistani community, is without a third secretary since 2007. The ambassador at Switzerland has been abroad since 2002 and isn’t expecting an early replacement.

The officer in Bangkok has completed six years abroad and still expecting none to replace him. Second secretary in Ankara has finished his tenure last year and waiting for someone to take over from him.

In Birmingham consul-general has been there since four years.

UN Mission in New York has a number of overstayers. Geneva is almost an identical issue of overstay where deputy permanent representative and counselor have spent more than four years but would probably stay couple of more years.

Ambassador and second secretary in Uzbekistan have completed their tenure but political support is stopping the Foreign Office administration to nominate replacements Yemen has been without ambassador since long. The tenure of the officer posted there ended in January 2008, but was given one more year on recommendation of some well connected people. Ambassador and officer in Harare have completed there tenure but aren’t expected home soon.