Qazi Saleem

Pakistani Foreign Service Officer

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Qazi Saleem is a Foreign Service Officer who has represented Pakistan as a diplomat. His first posting was in Geneva, Switzerland, where he represented Pakistan on the Human Rights Council. By 2021 he had been in the service for more than a decade, and he currently looks at human rights issues from a UN perspective.

Early life and background

Saleem grew up in Islamabad, where few people knew about the DC, AC or police services. He says he was a studious child who grew up focused on his studies. No one else in his family had been in the civil service. [1]

Education

Saleem studied electrical engineering at NUST in Islamabad. He found that engineering was not his cup of tea. [1]

Career

Saleem was at the Civil Services Academy during his training. He says he secured the gold medal. He also says that for several decades before him, no one from another service had topped the combined Civil Services Academy. He was first placed in the Commerce and Trade Group, known as CTG. He had joined the foreign service by the time the next year's results came out. [1]

Geneva

Saleem was sent to France to learn the French language. He spent three years in Geneva. His first ambassador later became Pakistan's first woman foreign secretary. [1]

Working life

Saleem says foreign officers are posted abroad every two or three years. He says they are away from family and often return only after several years. He says he often worked on weekends, including in negotiations. He says that in a half-hour span he used to be in around ten different rooms. He also says the Non-Aligned Movement, about 125 countries, has often agreed by consensus that he would represent it. [1]

Postings abroad

Saleem has lived in the United States and says he admires its societies and ingenuity. He says he sat behind the Pakistani flag as a young diplomat. He names the period after Pulwama as a high of his foreign service. [1]

Views on diplomacy

Saleem describes the foreign office as the country's face and says the foreign office and foreign service are the country's first line of defense. He says people often forget that diplomatic reach depends on how economically sound a country is. He says a country must do well at home to project well abroad. [1]

On the lifestyle, he says the foreign service academy teaches from the first day that the foreign service is a lifestyle. He says about 99 percent of what diplomats achieve for their country happens at receptions. He says officers without the right temperament for the lifestyle can come to dislike the service. He says multilateral diplomacy is tougher than bilateral, because more countries are involved. He cites the saying that states have no permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests. [1]

Views on Pakistan's foreign policy

He says Pakistan has pushed for vaccines to be meant for the whole of humanity. He says a Look Africa policy was launched and that efforts on it continue. He says the Afghanistan peace process has not yet reached its conclusion. He says Pakistan's geo-strategic placement will always keep some people unhappy with it. [1]

He says the world is moving toward multipolarity, with new power centres emerging. He says China and South Korea show that countries can rise within three to four decades. He says Pakistan must align itself so that it ends up on the winning side either way. He says Pakistan should always trust its self-projection and self-confidence, and that its whole approach should always be Pakistan-oriented. [1]

Views on information and image

Saleem says fifth-generation warfare aims to make people distrust their own state institutions. He says he does not ask people to trust everything the state says. He says Pakistan must fight fifth-generation warfare together as a nation. He says Pakistan was among those who said freedom of speech has limits, and that Pakistan argued that disinformation can never be part of freedom of speech. [1]

He says not everything taught from a Western lens is okay, and that a one-size-fits-all policy does not work. He says Pakistan should focus on building its brand abroad. He also says Pakistan should promote its tourism and its own movies and dramas. He says Pakistani diplomats earn respect for their honesty. He says Pakistanis should never be underconfident. [1]

Views on the civil service

Saleem says the civil service exam remains one of the most transparent exams. He says CSS success depends on lifelong preparation as well as on the exam itself. He says top students from LUMS and NUST, among others, are now joining the civil service. He says the civil service needs a more evolving bureaucracy that can quickly grasp modern times. [1]

He says Pakistan's foreign service is roughly half the numerical size of its larger neighbour's, and two to three times smaller than those of several growing Asian tigers. He advises CSS aspirants never to look first at perks and privileges, and to join for passion and to serve the nation. He says children should be taught to form their own assessment of what they learn. [1]

Timeline

2021
Had been in the service for more than a decade.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2021-01-29 How diplomacy shapes Pakistan's global standing Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Qazi Saleem?

Qazi Saleem is a Foreign Service Officer. He says he is a diplomat while abroad, representing Pakistan. In Geneva he represented Pakistan on the Human Rights Council.[1]

What does Qazi Saleem do?

Qazi Saleem is a Foreign Service Officer. He says he is a diplomat while abroad, representing Pakistan. He currently looks at human rights issues from a UN perspective.[1]

Where did Qazi Saleem study?

Qazi Saleem studied electrical engineering at NUST in Islamabad. He found that engineering was not his cup of tea.[1]

Where was Qazi Saleem first posted?

Qazi Saleem's first posting was in Geneva, Switzerland. He spent three years in Geneva and represented Pakistan on the Human Rights Council. He was also sent to France to learn the French language.[1]

How long has Qazi Saleem been in the foreign service?

By 2021 Qazi Saleem had been in the service for more than a decade. He says foreign officers are posted abroad every two or three years.[1]

What advice does Qazi Saleem give CSS aspirants?

Qazi Saleem advises CSS aspirants never to look first at perks and privileges. He advises them to join for passion and to serve the nation.[1]

What does Qazi Saleem say about fifth-generation warfare?

Qazi Saleem says fifth-generation warfare aims to make people distrust their own state institutions. He says Pakistan must fight fifth-generation warfare together as a nation.[1]

References

  1. How diplomacy shapes Pakistan's global standing . Thought Behind Things , 2021-01-29.
Show the source passages (72 statements)
  1. Qazi Saleem is a Foreign Service Officer. 00:00 Qazi Saleem: Foreign Service Officer
  2. He was first placed in the Commerce and Trade Group, known as CTG. So first time I was in the Commerce and Trade Group, okay, that is CTG, iska short name hai
  3. He had joined the foreign service by the time the next year's results came out. Lekin next year ke woh result aa gaye the toh main foreign service mein bhi aa chuka tha.
  4. He was at the Civil Services Academy during his training. jab main Civil Services Academy mein tha at that time
  5. He studied electrical engineering at NUST in Islamabad. Maine NUST se ki thi, Islamabad se, EME college se. Electrical engineering ki thi maine.
  6. He found that engineering was not his cup of tea. But within engineering I found out ki yeh mera cup of tea nahi hai.
  7. He says CSS success depends on lifelong preparation as well as on the exam itself. It's also about aapki lifelong taiyari kitni chal rahi hai.
  8. He says he was a studious child who grew up focused on his studies. I have always been very studious sort of a child when I was growing up
  9. He grew up in Islamabad, where few people knew about the DC, AC or police services. growing up in Islamabad, like you have supposed, aapko hardly DC, AC, police kisi ka nahi pata hota.
  10. No one else in his family had been in the civil service. meri puri family mein koi civil service mein nahi tha
  11. He says he secured the gold medal. I was able to secure the gold medal which actually speaks about the transparency of the system as well
  12. He says that for several decades before him, no one from another service had topped the combined Civil Services Academy. Toh mujhse pehle takreeban kai decade tak toh jab Civil Services Academy jahan sab groups hote hain combined, toh kisi aur service ka banda ya bandi top nahi kar rahi thi.
  13. By 2021 he had been in the service for more than a decade. Now a decade I guess. So after now 2021 is more than a decade for me.
  14. His first posting was in Geneva, Switzerland. my first posting has been in Switzerland in Geneva
  15. In Geneva he represented Pakistan on the Human Rights Council. Toh main wahan pe human rights council mein Pakistan ko represent karta tha.
  16. He spent three years in Geneva. I was there for three years.
  17. He was sent to France to learn the French language. which they sent me to France to learn the French language.
  18. His first ambassador later became Pakistan's first woman foreign secretary. My first ambassador became later on the first women foreign secretary of Pakistan, Madam Tehmina.
  19. He says he often worked on weekends, including in negotiations. aksar-o-beshtar main toh weekends pe bhi hamari ya negotiations mein baitha hota tha
  20. He says the foreign service academy teaches from the first day that the foreign service is a lifestyle. Jis din aap pehle din foreign service academy mein jayenge woh bhi yahi sikhayenge ki it's a lifestyle.
  21. He says about 99 percent of what diplomats achieve for their country happens at receptions. toh 99% jo aap apne mulk ke liye achieve karte ho woh un receptions mein kar lete hain.
  22. He says officers without the right temperament for the lifestyle can come to dislike the service. But some people if they do not have the temperament for that then they really end up in becoming not that much liking the service
  23. He says multilateral diplomacy is tougher than bilateral, because more countries are involved. multilateral wale hamari jo diplomacy zyada tough hoti hai from a bilateral mission kyunki naturally zyada mumalik hain
  24. He says foreign officers are posted abroad every two or three years. we end up in after two years, three years hum bahar posting pe chale jate hain
  25. He says he is a diplomat while abroad, representing Pakistan. I am a diplomat when I am outside Pakistan to represent Pakistan.
  26. He says he has lived in the United States and admires its societies and ingenuity. I have lived in US, I like their societies, I like their ingenuity, I like their things
  27. He says the foreign office and foreign service are the country's first line of defense. foreign office aur foreign service is your first line of defense.
  28. He says people often forget that diplomatic reach depends on how economically sound a country is. Log aksar bhool jate hain ki meri diplomatic projection utni hogi jitna main economically sound hounga.
  29. He describes the foreign office as the country's face. So foreign office is your face.
  30. He says a country must do well at home to project well abroad. So you have to understand that we have to do good domestically for us to project really well internationally.
  31. He says Pakistan's diplomacy has always been seen as the best in multilateral forums. Pakistan ki diplomacy has always been considered just to highlight as the best in multilateral fora
  32. He says Quaid-e-Azam said that Pakistan would always speak for oppressed and suppressed people. Quaid-e-Azam said ki hum oppressed and suppressed people ke liye Pakistan hamesha baat karega.
  33. He says Pakistan speaks on matters from Kashmir to Palestine. Hum Kashmir se leke Palestine se leke hamare liye baat karte hain
  34. He says Pakistan will not give up its principles for economic interests. So main yeh nahi keh sakta ki just for the economic interests Pakistan apni kuch main principles ko chhod dega.
  35. He cites the saying that states have no permanent friends or foes, only permanent interests. there are no permanent friends or foes. Your interests are permanent.
  36. He says Pakistan took a principled stance of a free world in which no one is subjugated by another. humne unko itna support kiya because hamara principled stance of a free world ki koi kisi ke subjugation mein nahi hona chahiye
  37. He says Pakistan is said to punch above its weight in many multilateral forums. Pakistan has always been able to punch above its weight.
  38. He says the Non-Aligned Movement, about 125 countries, has often agreed by consensus that he would represent it. ke Non-Aligned Movement humari hai, its around 125 countries ki hai. Aksar-o-beshtar aisa hua hai ke they, by consensus, agreed ke Kazi Salim humein represent karega there, as a voice karega.
  39. He says Pakistan's foreign service is roughly half the numerical size of its larger neighbour's. Humari foreign service is, I think, numbers mein bigger neighbor se maybe half hai.
  40. He says Pakistan's foreign service is two to three times smaller than those of several growing Asian tigers. Aur baaki kai mumalik hain jo Asian Tigers grow kar rahe hain unse do do teen teen guna kam hai.
  41. He says that in a half-hour span he used to be in around ten different rooms. Can you imagine, I was, used to be in a half-hour span in around 10 different rooms.
  42. He says Pakistan has pushed for vaccines to be meant for the whole of humanity. Pakistan has been pushing for that ke jab bane, to it would, it should be for the whole humanity.
  43. He says Pakistanis should never be underconfident. we should never be underconfident as a Pakistani.
  44. He says not everything taught from a Western lens is okay. not everything taught from the Western lens is okay.
  45. He says a one-size-fits-all policy does not work. One size fits all policy does not work.
  46. He says Pakistan was among those who said freedom of speech has limits. woh keh rahe the na ke freedom of speech ki limits hoti hain, Pakistan un mein se ek tha.
  47. He says Pakistan argued that disinformation can never be part of freedom of speech. Hum kehte then ke disinformation can never be part of freedom of speech or expression or media.
  48. He says fifth-generation warfare aims to make people distrust their own state institutions. fifth-generation warfare ka ek yeh bhi tareeqa hai ke aap un logon mein, us nation mein is baat ko bhi infiltrate kar do ke yeh to sab, yeh to sab aapke state institutions jhoot bol rahe hain
  49. He says he does not ask people to trust everything the state says. To I'm not saying to trust everything that the state is, is even saying
  50. He says Pakistan must fight fifth-generation warfare together as a nation. we have to work as a nation to fight this fifth-generation warfare.
  51. He says Pakistan's geo-strategic placement will always keep some people unhappy with it. humari geo-strategic jo placement hai, it would always keep some people not liking us.
  52. He says the Afghanistan peace process has not yet reached its conclusion. Phir Afghanistan ka peace process still abhi apne conclusion ko nahi pahuncha.
  53. He says Pakistan should focus on building its brand abroad. we have to be focused on Brand Pakistan.
  54. He says Pakistan should promote its tourism. Hamein apne tourism ko batana chahiye
  55. He says Pakistani diplomats earn respect for their honesty. Pakistan ke diplomat is doing that much, unko respect hai honesty ki wajah se
  56. He says top students from LUMS and NUST, among others, are now joining the civil service. by now aapke top-most students from LUMS, GIKI, NUST, jo aapke top-most minds uthate hain, King Edward for the doctors, aur Oxford, Harvard aur yeh inke aa rahe hain civil service mein.
  57. He says the civil service exam remains one of the most transparent exams. civil service exam remains one of the most transparent exams till now
  58. He says the civil service needs a more evolving bureaucracy that can quickly grasp modern times. we need much more evolving bureaucracy jo modern times ko quickly grasp kar sake.
  59. He says a Look Africa policy was launched and that efforts on it continue. Humne Look Africa policy bhi pe, bahut kaam kiya, launch kiya aur us pe effort ho rahi hai.
  60. He says Pakistan should promote its own movies and dramas. Apni movies and dramas ko promote karna chahiye.
  61. He says the world is moving toward multipolarity, with new power centres emerging. multipolarity ki taraf hum ja rahe hain, power centers generate ho rahe hain.
  62. He says China and South Korea show that countries can rise within three to four decades. China's rise I think in just three to four decades they have proven that, South Korea has proven that
  63. He says Pakistan should always trust its self-projection and self-confidence. humein apne self projection aur self confidence pe zaroor hamesha hamesha trust rehna chahiye
  64. He says Pakistan must align itself so that it ends up on the winning side either way. hum saare milke as a nation apne aap ko kaise align karte hain ki we end up in being on the winning side in either way
  65. He advises CSS aspirants never to look first at perks and privileges. never look at the perks and privileges.
  66. He advises CSS aspirants to join for passion and to serve the nation. So, if you want to do CSS, then do it for passion.
  67. He says he sat behind the Pakistani flag as a young diplomat. I have been sitting behind Pakistani flag as a young diplomat
  68. He says foreign officers are away from family and often return only after several years. Aap apne ghar walon se door hoge, aksar aap kai saalon baad wapas aaoge
  69. He says he currently looks at human rights issues from a UN perspective. main aaj kal human rights wagera ko dekh raha hoon sara kuch from a UN perspective
  70. He says children should be taught to form their own assessment of what they learn. Humare education system ko isiliye humein bacchon ko thoda groom karna chahiye ke yaar whatever you are being taught, just have your own assessment as well.
  71. He names the period after Pulwama as a high of his foreign service. maybe post-Pulwama hui jab, you know, humne unka jahaaz gira diya aur we then went all out. Jab aap kehte hain na ke foreign service ke highs kya hote hain, this was the one.
  72. He says Pakistan's whole approach should always be Pakistan-oriented. our whole approach should always be Pakistan-oriented.