Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri on Tuesday eulogised the services of Sahabzada Yaqub Khan to Pakistan and the contribution he made to diplomacy and promotion of the national interest in challenging times. He made these remarks at the launching ceremony of the book titled "Strategy, diplomacy and humanity" written by former foreign minister Sahabzada Yaqub. He said the book was an interesting collection of his writings, address, speeches and assessments on various occasions and of extracts from letters written to Sahabzada Yaqub Khan by the world leaders.
The Minister said Sahabzada Yaqoob had a distinction of serving Pakistan as a soldier, diplomat and statesman and as an administrator.
"One of the challenging phases in his life was his dissent to the policy of the government of the day and his recommendation for a political solution to the crisis in the then east-Pakistan in 1970-71," said the Minister.
Kasuri said Sahabzada Yaqub Khan's association with the foreign office was a matter of pride - first as an Ambassador to key capitals including Paris, Washington and Moscow and secondly for almost nine years as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan during the tenure of various governments. "He proved to be an outstanding diplomat and strategic analyst," Kasuri praised the former foreign minister.
One of his noteworthy contributions, Kasuri said, was to negotiate the withdrawal of Soviet Union's troops from Afghanistan and his efforts to maintain a balance in relations with the great powers as well as between Iran and the Arab States during the first gulf war.
"These were, undoubtedly, the major achievements. Sahabzada Yaqub's flair, strategic vision and focus has earned him an abiding respect and the esteem of his colleagues and a generation of diplomats in Pakistan's Foreign Office and in many foreign ministries," the Minister added.
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