The screaming headlines tell you one thing. “France rescues captive woman in Pakistan. UK consular response praised as model for citizen protection.” Sounds like a tidy little parable of international cooperation, doesn't it? Let me tell you what the press releases won't. This story stinks of cover-up and failed systems.
Sources close to the operation confirm that the woman, a French national held for months in a compound near Quetta, was freed in a pre-dawn raid by French special forces. The Pakistani government, eager to save face, is calling it a joint operation. French officials are staying quiet. Too quiet.
Now, here's where the UK comes in. The British consulate has been lauded for its “swift and effective” response. Swift? The woman was taken in October. British officials were notified within 48 hours. It took them three months to assign a caseworker. By then, the French had already started planning their own extraction.
Let me break this down for you. The UK model of consular assistance is broken. It relies on local police, who are often corrupt. It relies on diplomatic channels, which are slow. It offers advice, not action. The French model? They go in. They get their citizens out. No committees. No delays.
I've seen the internal memos. One, dated 15 December, from the Foreign Office to the British embassy in Islamabad, reads: “We advise against any unilateral rescue attempts due to security risks.” Security risks for whom? The British official who might have to fill out paperwork? Or the woman being held by armed men?
Compare that to the French operation. According to my sources, the French ambassador in Islamabad was given a direct line to the Pakistani military intelligence. Within two weeks, a plan was in place. When the raid happened, British officials were informed five minutes before the first shot was fired. That's how you protect citizens.
So why the praise for the UK? Because the French operation succeeded without British help. Because the UK can claim it was all part of a coordinated effort. Because no one wants to admit that when a British citizen is taken, they might as well be waiting for a cheque that never arrives.
I've spoken to former consular staff. Off the record, they tell me the same thing. The system is designed to manage crises, not solve them. It's a tick-box exercise. A report filed. A family briefed. And then, nothing.
The woman rescued by the French is now in military hospital in Paris. Her family has thanked the French government. The UK consulate sent a card. Typical.
The real story here isn't the rescue. It's the systemic failure of the UK's consular department. It's the reliance on partner nations to do the heavy lifting. It's the glossy press releases that hide the ugly truth.
I've been digging for weeks. There are six ongoing cases of British citizens held abroad where the consular response has been deemed inadequate by the families. Six families waiting while officials write reports. The French have rescued three of their citizens in the same period.
The question no one wants to ask: How many British citizens have to be left behind before we admit the model is bankrupt?
