WASHINGTON DC – Message sent to team members of the Pakistani Embassy and Consulates in the US by outgoing ambassador, Ali Jehangir Siddiqui.
To all staff at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC and our consulates in the United States
Farewell and Happy New Year
Dear friends,
It has been a profound honour to serve as Pakistan’s Ambassador. It has also been a privilege to work with some of the finest officers in our Government.
I had always hoped that my path would one day lead me into Government service. I grew up in a family where my mother was a public sector university professor, and both my paternal and maternal grandfathers worked for our Government. My Khala, Khalu, Taya and Phuppa served as senior Government officers. My father’s youngest brother served in the Pakistan Airforce, and my wife Saira’s grandfather served in the Pakistan Army. I have many cousins who currently serve in the Government. It is for this reason that I wholeheartedly accepted the task, relinquishing my private sector obligations, because it was far more important to contribute in the service of our great nation.
Shepherding our relationship with the United States required all of our focus and dedication. We know the pressures under which we performed our duty, and as the American saying goes, we moved the needle. There is much left to be done and there are many challenges ahead that require your meticulous and unwavering attention. I want to remind you that the relationship between Pakistan and the United States is full of opportunity for both countries. You must therefore remember the times when relations were at their peak and set that as your goal.
In this journey I learnt a great deal from all of you, and I trust I was successful in imparting some of my own ideas as well. The most important being to take risks. When stakes are high it is natural to take a conservative path, but it is equally important to rely on your own competence and training. Our system does not make this easy. Therefore, it is vital that you make it easier for your junior colleagues to take risks and to protect them when required. As I told many of you when we parted, I would not have had any success had it not been for a few individuals in our leadership that gave me the confidence to take measured risks.
In a few days, Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan will be taking charge of the embassy. He is an experienced and capable diplomat who will no doubt serve as an excellent Chief of Mission. My prayers and best wishes are with him, his wife and their children for their success here in Washington DC.
I want to say that beyond my leadership, my friendship with all of you is permanent. We are connected and joined in something far greater than ourselves – to improve the future for our 210 million citizens.
I wish all of you and your families immense success in the new year.
Sincerely,
Ali J. Siddiqui
