When the civilian government delegates ambassadorial posts to uniformed veterans, it hands over a key lever of statecraft to an institution whose primary loyalty is to the armed forces, not to the electorate. The question that follows is simple: whose interests are being served?
What should the public demand?
Transparency. A publicly accessible register of all ambassadorial appointments, with clear indications of career diplomats versus retired officers. An independent parliamentary committee to audit the cost‑benefit balance of each posting. And, most importantly, a re‑allocation of the funds saved from curbing the military‑to‑diplomacy pipeline toward the power grid, education and health services that ordinary Pakistanis need.
Until the state stops treating diplomatic posts as extensions of the uniformed elite, the ordinary citizen will continue to foot the bill for a foreign‑policy that serves a narrow, militarised agenda rather than the nation’s broader development goals.
