Ever since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Narendra Modi government, the Imran Khan government in Pakistan has made the Kashmir issue the centrepiece of its foreign policy. Khan's impassioned speech at the UN General Assembly was dominated by Kashmir and in late September, Pakistan replaced its UN envoy with a 74-year-old former diplomat who once held the post from 2002 to 2008.
But Munir Akram was not reappointed just because of his experience. Akram had a reputation of being an acerbic speaker, who never held back from directly threatening India, even with nuclear war, at international forums. But now, Akram seems to be under attack himself.
On Thursday, the Women's Action Forum (WAF), a prominent human rights body in Pakistan, filed a petition in the Sindh High Court, seeking that the court "permanently restrain" Akram from being the country's UN ambassador.
Geo TV, a Pakistani news outlet, claimed WAF had described the appointment of Akram as "illegal, unlawful and void ab initio". WAF is arguing that, based on Pakistan laws, "a retired civil servant cannot be rehired by the federal government unless the grounds for re-employment are concerned with the public interest".
WAF also referred to a domestic abuse case against Akram from 2002, when he was the UN ambassador. In December 2002, his then girlfriend Marijana Mihic called police to their apartment in New York and claimed her head had been bashed against the wall and arm hurt by Akram. In 2003, the US government had requested Pakistan to withdraw the diplomatic immunity granted to Akram, so he could be charged under US laws. However, no further action was taken against Akram.
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“In light of the accusation of domestic violence, it is requested of the honourable court to reflect on the impression this [appointment of Akram] creates in the global environment, and also the impression made of the standards of behaviour reflective of official representatives,” Geo TV quoted the petition as stating.
The domestic abuse case against Akram had made international headlines in 2002. Mihic was reportedly 22 years younger than Akram. The incident triggered widespread outrage with the New York Post referring to Akram as the “diplo basher”.