Islamabad, July 21: Pakistan may field its own
candidate for the post of UN Secretary General if India's
Shashi Tharoor makes it to the final stage of the selection
process.
Islamabad would field its candidate only if Tharoor
remains in the race, reported a Pakistani daily, which had
earlier speculated that Pakistan planned to field its
journalist-turned diplomat Maleeha Lodhi against Tharoor.
The paper said Pakistan was expecting Tharoor to withdraw
but would wait till a final list of contestants emerges.
Islamabad may field its candidate in September if Tharoor
reaches the final stage of selection process, it said.
Under the UN Security Council procedure, a candidate can
be introduced anytime before it makes the final selection.
The report said Pakistan did not regard Tharoor as a
serious contender as it believed that India had fielded him
"half heartedly."
Pakistan has been backing Thai Deputy Premier Surakirat
Sathirathai for the top UN post and has assigned former
Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar the task to campaign for him.
Khokhar would be campaigning for Sathirathai in the next three
months, the paper said.
There is, however, no official confirmation here to
suggest that Khokhar has been appointed to campaign for the
Thai candidate.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, July 21, 2006, 00:00