ISLAMABAD, Oct 17: In what is being seen here as a diplomatic snub, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has left Pakistan out of the itinerary for his first visit to the region.

Mr Ban’s four-nation trip later this month will take him to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines.

No specific reason has been given by the UN for Mr Ban’s decision to skip Pakistan.

UN Resident Coordinator Mr Fikret Akcura attributed it to paucity of time and pressing engagements of Mr Ban.

“The senior officials while on their overseas trips have very limited time and a number of important engagements. In any case the visit to a country could not have been extended to a neighbouring country.”

It may be mentioned that Pakistan, dismissed by Mr Akcura as just a neighbouring country — that did not merit a visit, has been one of the leading contributors of troops to the UN peacekeeping missions and is piloting the ‘One UN’ project for reforms in the UN system. Besides, the UN has a development portfolio of about $611 million in Pakistan. The country is also a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

Sources in the UN system in Pakistan have indicated that the secretary-general decided against visiting Islamabad because of security concerns.

Earlier this month Mr Ban approved a change in the threat level for Pakistan, in the aftermath of the Marriott hotel bombing, raising it to Level 3.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq declined to comment on Mr Ban’s decision not to visit Pakistan.

Pakistan’s former permanent representative to the UN Shamshad Ahmed regretted that the secretary-general had adopted a selective approach, which he should have avoided.

He said that in the past no secretary-general had visited this region ‘selectively’.

Mr Ahmed said these were unusual times for Pakistan and Mr Ban could have made a supportive gesture towards the elected government by visiting Islamabad and reinforcing the democratic government’s image overseas.