Islamabad: Pakistan’s Foreign Office imparts foreign language training to its officers but goes on to post them where the language isn’t spoken. Sample this: An officer trained in Japanese has been posted to Berlin while another officer who knows German goes to Kazakhstan.
About 20 young diplomats get foreign language training every year, but they are sent to places where that language may not be relevant, Dawn reported.
The Foreign Office spends Rs.2 million to Rs.2.5 million on a young diplomat for a year-long language training programme.
The latest posting plan for third secretaries shows that Afaq Ahmed, who has been trained in French language, has been posted to Colombo, though there is a vacant position in Paris. That’s not all. Shah Nazar Afridi, trained in Arabic, would now serve in Kathmandu.