ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: Controversy over Beijing posting has laid bare the depth of division in the Foreign Service between officers recruited directly and those inducted from armed forces.

Both streams of officers have always squabbled, albeit quietly, over seniority and postings, but simmering tension came to a head when the presidency ignored a panel of four senior diplomats for the post of ambassadorship in Beijing proposed by the Foreign Office and started backing Chief of Protocol Ghalib Iqbal, a former navy officer, for one of the most important assignments for career diplomats given the special nature of Pakistan-China ties.

A group of disgruntled Foreign Service officers has started garnering support for a legal petition to block induction of military officers.

Every year military men make up 20 per cent of the officers entering Foreign Service. Of the 15 joining Foreign Service in any year 12 come through Civil Superior Services and three from armed forces.

Beyond numbers, direct entrants bemoan the head start those coming from military get in their diplomatic careers.

Those with military background are now seen throwing their weight behind Mr Iqbal to ensure that they retain predominance in the service structure.

An officer, who had come through the regular stream, said Mr Iqbal of the 11th common batch had already been promoted to the BS-21 whereas some seniors to him from the civilian side were still awaiting elevation.

One of his colleagues said the discrimination within the service didn’t end here, the military men get most of the coveted postings that left after political appointments — another red button issue at the Foreign Office.

Foreign Service officers, who had in 2009 successfully fended off Zardari-backed DMG attempt to encroach on their territory, said they were pretty confident of getting induction from armed forces stopped.

The din over Beijing posting echoed at the weekly Foreign Office briefing.

Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Khan, in a measured response, said: “At the end of the day it is the prerogative of the leadership to select whosoever they find suitable for the position”.

Pressed by journalists to speak over the issue, Mr Khan shielded himself behind excuses that the appointment was “an administrative matter” and that “as a normal practice” ambassadorial postings are not announced publicly till the host government conveys its ‘agreement’.

Beijing is such an important posting that quite a few of ambassadors posted there went on to become foreign secretaries.

The position fell vacant after Ambassador Masood Khan moved to New York as permanent representative to the UN.

GROSSMAN VISIT: Mr Khan said US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman would be visiting Pakistan soon.

He didn’t rule out North Waziristan operation being on the agenda for discussions with him, but didn’t disclose any details.