US approves appointment of Pak's new ambassador

The US has approved the appointment of a prominent Pakistani investment banker Ali Jahangir Siddiqui as the country's new envoy in Washington, media reports said today, amidst the impasse over imposition of restrictions on the movement of diplomats in each others' country.

In March, the Pakistan government had announced that Siddiqui, a Karachi-based businessman, would be the country's next ambassador to the US and sent relevant papers to the US State Department for agrement.

But the agrement for the new envoy was received by the Pakistan Embassy only two days ago, Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary said.

"The embassy had received the agrement for the new ambassador, Ali Jahangir Siddiqui, on Tuesday, paving the way for his appointment," Chaudhary was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

An agrement is the approval of a diplomatic representative by the state to which he or she is to be accredited.

Diplomatic norms do not allow a host government to tell another government who to send as ambassador, but they also place no obligation on the host government to approve the appointment.

Chaudhary is expected to leave his job on May 29, just two days before an interim government is likely to take charge in Islamabad, as general elections are likely to be held in Pakistan in July.

The appointment of new ambassador is coming at a time when the US is all set to impose a restriction on the movement of Pakistani diplomats in Washington and at its four consulates in New York, Los Angeles, Texas and Chicago, the report said.

As per the restrictions, from May 11, diplomats will not be able to travel more than 40 kilometres from their posts without prior notice. Earlier, the restriction was to come into effect from May 1, but was deferred to resolve certain issues, it said.