President Trump’s announcement of a new South Asian policy has sent the foreign policy cogs of Pakistan into overdrive. Opposition parties are having their say, the government and the army got together to issue a joint response and the Foreign Office is deconstructing the US’ preferential treatment of India by attempting to remind the world of the state-sponsored terrorism in Indian-Occupied Kashmir – all sensible measures. But the new Foreign Minister has ideas of his own, no matter how relevant or otherwise they might be. Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday, stated that he would support a parliamentary investigation into the Raymond Davis incident if necessary.

Admittedly, he was responding to a point of order raised by JUI-F Senator Hafiz Hamdullah on the alleged involvement of former President Asif Ali Zardari, former Ambassador Hussain Haqqani and former ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha in helping the CIA contractor escape, but to even be open to the idea while holding the foreign policy portfolio does not inspire confidence. As Foreign Minister, it is the responsibility of Mr Asif to present a cohesive, logically sound and effective diplomatic perspective on part of Pakistan, and opening an old case against a US contractor does absolutely nothing to pressurise it to treat Pakistan sensibly. As a matter of fact, it undermines the whole parliament – if Pakistan’s reaction to the threats emanating from the US is only tantamount to opening old files without any real purpose, the Trump Administration does not have too much to worry about and it can treat Pakistan however it sees fit.

It is also possible that the Foreign Minister meant it as a tactic to put PPP on the back foot by blaming its chief, however, even as a barb against the previous government, it is entirely ineffective. An investigation into the Raymond Davis case leads nowhere, former President Zardari will not be worried, Hussain Haqqani is not in Pakistan, and prominent leaders of the armed forces are virtually untouchable.

An investigation that will never happen, or be useful in attaining Pakistan’s foreign policy goals, is not the answer. An empty threat with little consequence, Khawaja Asif would be better suited turning his attention towards countering the US-India threat while cementing relations with China and Russia.