New setup in Libya be recognised: PML-N wants eminent change in foreign policy

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday urged the government to review the country's foreign policy while giving top priority to recognition of new setup in Libya on an immediate basis. Through a letter, written to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday, PML-N senior leader Senator Ishaq Dar expressed serious reservations over the country's foreign policy particularly the new setup in Libya.
He regretted that the government has been extremely slow in taking a clear direction on the transition of power to new setup in Libya despite the fact that most countries of the world including close friends of Pakistan have recognised the new Libyan setup eg China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Gulf states and many other African and Middle Eastern countries, in addition to almost all the western countries and the US.
Dar said the ground realities require that the foreign policy should be governed primarily by pragmatism, ground realities, national interests and the interests of the people of Pakistan. "Under the circumstances, I would urge that the review of Foreign Policy vis-à-vis recognition of the new setup in Libya should be given top priority and an immediate appropriate decision should be taken in this regard," the PML-N leader said.
He said, "as we are well aware, the people of Libya have gone through a struggle and taken a decision to install a new Council to run the country. This Transitional Council, which has replaced former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his setup, is reportedly in complete control and is running the affairs of their country, he added.
"The developments in last few months in Libya require the government of Pakistan to regularly review the situation for the purpose of recognition of the new setup in Libya," he stated in his letter, adding that "however, I regret to point out that the government of Pakistan has been extremely slow in taking a clear cut direction on this critical subject."
Dar pointed out that the reported statement of new Libyan setup that they would consider replacing 55,000 Pakistanis working in Libya at present with Indians and other nationalities, in case Pakistan does not recognise the new political setup in Libya. "God forbids, if any such action materialises, it would have terrible socio-economic effect on the families of the said 55,000 Pakistanis," he said, adding that he was unable to understand as to why an eminent change required in our foreign policy takes too long to materialise. "It appears that perhaps slow action on the part of the government of Pakistan could have been in view of personal relationship of a few individuals in the past but we must not forget that those individuals are part of history now," Dar said.