BY: Syed Fawad Ali Shah
The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control has issued a strict new directive barring all officers under its command — including those in the FIA, ANF, Islamabad Police, and other attached departments — from meeting or interacting with foreign diplomats, representatives of international organizations, or foreign missions without prior written approval from the Secretary Interior. The circular, issued under Rule 30 of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, comes amid growing concerns over frequent and secretive meetings between Pakistani civil and police officers and diplomats from the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and various European countries. According to insiders, several serving officials — some handling sensitive security and intelligence portfolios — have been holding unauthorized meetings with foreign envoys in private settings, often discussing classified national matters. In some cases, confidential documents were allegedly shared over WhatsApp, in clear violation of Pakistan’s Official Secrets Act. Sources allege that certain senior officers even act as “brokers”, introducing their colleagues to foreign diplomats to gain favor and proximity. These relationships, it is said, often come with perks and privileges: from paid foreign trips and cash bribes to employment offers in foreign missions. A few ambitious officers have even planned their post-retirement relocations abroad, securing foreign nationalities and diplomatic consultancy roles well before hanging up their uniforms. One particularly alarming episode involved a former Counter-Terrorism Wing officer of the FIA, who — while posted in Islamabad — allegedly leaked entire case files to Indian and American diplomats. The FIA later raided his residence and recovered copies of those classified documents. However, the internal inquiry, led by another police officer, concluded that the files had been taken home “due to heavy workload.” That cover-up report allowed the officer to escape disciplinary action entirely.. Diplomatic sources acknowledge that such interactions are not uncommon, but what raises eyebrows is how openly some diplomats publicize these meetings. For instance, the Saudi Ambassador in Islamabad frequently posts photos of his meetings with senior bureaucrats on his official social media accounts — yet, notably, never mentions the agenda or purpose behind these encounters. With this new circular, the Interior Ministry has drawn a hard line, warning that no official engagement — official or private — with any foreigner or foreign mission will be tolerated without the Secretary’s explicit approval. The ministry has directed all attached departments to implement the order “in letter and spirit.”. Observers believe this move signals a tightening of internal discipline and an attempt to curb the growing influence of foreign missions on Pakistan’s bureaucratic machinery. Whether the directive will actually rein in such covert diplomacy, however, remains to be seen.
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