By Mati-Ullah Khan
Islamabad, Pakistan: Book “Hostility”: A Diplomat’s Diary on Pakistan-India Relations and More written by Ambassador Abdul Basit is in the market now.
Foreign Affairs expert and retired career Diplomat Ambassador Abdul Basit has come up with a revealing book titled “Hostility”: A Diplomat’s Diary on Pakistan-India Relations and More”.
Ambassador Abdul Basit is known for his upfront, thoughtful and futuristic approach towards Foreign Affairs and served Pakistani Mission in New Delhi as Ambassador during turbulent times. He has too much to share with readers in this book including the reasons behind his early retirement in August 2017 and his brief association with the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).
Ambassador Abdul Basit is vocal about the Foreign Policy of Pakistan and keeps suggesting Pakistani Diplomatic Crop through his articles, vlogs, and lectures.
His 334 pages book is available at several famous book stores with a rack rate of 1,795 Pak rupees and will be available online soon at www.libertybooks.com.
This book covers several sensitive and important events of Indo-Pak relations and covers the tenure of Abdul Basit as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to New Delhi, focusing on Pakistan-India relations
His book mentions the details about the impediments placed in his way to be appointed as the Foreign Secretary and also what led to his ouster as the Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.
- It mentions the participation of former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif in the Swearing-in Ceremony of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and why Kashmir wasn’t taken up as part of the discussion during the tour.
- What message was given to the ambassador by the former RAW Chief A. S. Dulat prior to Nawaz Sharif’s visit to New Delhi?
- The book also points out those people who were against an extensive media interaction by Ambassador Abdul Basit in India
- Why Ambassador Abdul Basit met the Hurriyat Leaders and why the Indian Foreign Secretary’s visit to Pakistan was canceled?
- How the Indian government didn’t let Ambassador Abdul Basit have easy access to the Hurriyat Leaders
- What was Nawaz Sharif’s reaction following the accomplishment of his visit to New Delhi in the meeting with Abdul Basit?
- Points of discussion in the meetings between Abdul Basit and the Indian Officials i.e. Ajit Doval and S. Jaishankar
- Why Pakistan didn’t grant MFN Status to India?
- Why Pakistan couldn’t attend the Seminar of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in New York, missing a historic opportunity to interact with the group?
- Why Pakistan reacted in hurry following the Pathankot incident?
- What mistakes made by Pakistan in the Mumbai attack case?
- Why Sartaj Aziz couldn’t visit India in August 2015
- Why Kashmir wasn’t mentioned in Ufa Joint Statement of SCO Summit issued on July 10, 2015?
- The visit by the former Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj to Pakistan on December 9, 2015, and the Joint Statement issued afterward weakened Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir and terror issues.
- About Kulbhushan Jadhav and why Pakistan didn’t grant the Counselor Access to him initially?
- Who were those people who stopped Ambassador Abdul Basit from talking against the Modi government when the PIA Office was attacked in New Delhi?
- The discussion at the Envoys Conference in Islamabad attended by Ambassador Abdul Basit
- Why an Indian Intelligence Operative visited Pakistan?
- Why Sajjan Jindal visited Pakistan and his interaction with Ambassador Abdul Basit?
- Visit of Sartaj Aziz to Amritsar to attend the Heart of Asia Conference
The books also indicates the administrative problems at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad
- The drawbacks in Pakistan’s strategy in the aftermath of August 5, 2019, when India annulled Kashmir’s Special Status
- The future of Pakistan-India relations
- The future of the Kashmir dispute
- The Hurriyat Leadership
- Suggestions for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reform itself and cope with the emerging scenario at the regional and global level
- The reasons behind his early retirement in August 2017 and his brief association with the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)
