Dubai: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has announced the appointment of 18 ambassadors and consul generals including a new High Commissioner to India.
Qureshi said on Monday that the decision to appoint new diplomats has been taken after a consultation with Prime Minister Imran Khan. “I wish the newly-appointed officers good luck and hope they represent Pakistan with utmost dignity and effectiveness,” Qureshi said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Career diplomat Moin-ul-Haq has been appointed Pakistan's new High Commissioner to India amid strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Moin-ul-Haq is currently serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to France. He has previously served as chief of protocol at the Foreign Office. He joined Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1987 and has served in Turkey, Canada and Sri Lanka.
The post of High Commissioner to India fell vacant after Sohail Mehmood was appointed Pakistan's new foreign secretary in April.
About the appointment of Moeen-ul-Haq as high commissioner in New Delhi, Qureshi said it was an important posting as the election process in India was almost over and new engagement between Islamabad and New Delhi could be started.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Moazzam Ahmad Khan has also been replaced with Ghulam Dastagir, who is currently serving as Ambassador to Kuwait. Moazzam has been posted as special secretary at the Foreign Office headquarters.
“Today I met Prime Minister Imran Khan and after a detailed discussion he [PM] gave approval for the fresh appointments keeping in view new challenges,” Qureshi told media.
The Foreign Minister expressed the hope that the newly-appointed envoys would play a pivotal role in promoting the soft image of Pakistan and serve the Pakistanis living overseas.
He said reshuffling and appointments of ambassadors had been due for a long time. “Those who were appointed on Monday will perform their duties with the best of their abilities and will help improve trade, investment and Pakistan’s image in the world.”
Naghmana Hashmi, currently serving as ambassador in Brussels, has been appointed ambassador in Beijing. She would replace Masood Khalid, who had retired and was on serving on contract basis.
Additional secretary for Europe Division at the Foreign Office Zaheer Janjua, who had been previously recalled from Moscow, has been appointed as ambassador in Brussels, which is also the seat of EU headquarters.
Deputy Head of Mission in Tehran Imran Haider has been appointed as ambassador in Dushanbe.
Retired Maj Gen Abdul Aziz Tariq and Maj Gen Mohammad Khalid Rao have been appointed as envoys to Brunei and Bosnia Herzegovina respectively.
Special Secretary for Asia-Pacific Imtiaz Ahmad has been now designated as ambassador to Japan. The position in Tokyo had been lying vacant since Asad Majeed was moved to Washington as ambassador in the last posting cycle in October last year.
Additional Secretary FM’s Office Amina Baloch has been appointed as ambassador to Malaysia, Javed Khattak as ambassador to Portugal, Saqlain Sayeda as high commissioner to Kenya, Rukhsana Afzal as ambassador to Singapore, Khalid Jamali as ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Ata-ul-Munim as ambassador to Algeria.
Ambassador in Moscow Qazi Khalilullah, who has retired from service on attaining age of superannuation, has been given an extension for six months.
Khalid Majeed has been appointed as consul general in Jeddah, and Ayesha Abbas Khan in New York.
