Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, a seasoned diplomat, has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Foreign Office, according to a notification issued on Wednesday.
He will replace Aisha Farooqui who was appointed to the post in December last year.
Farooqui is a career diplomat and joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1994. She had been serving as consulate general of Pakistan in Houston, United States, before taking charge of her new responsibilities.
Chaudhri, who is currently serving as Director General (South Asia and SAARC), "in addition to his own duties will also look after the work of spokesperson" Farooqui, the notification said.
Being a seasoned diplomat and a career Foreign Service officer with over 26 years of varied experience, Chaudhri has served at key Pakistan Missions, including the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC, and the High Commission for Pakistan, London.
He has also held important assignments at Headquarters, including as Director General (Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joint Secretary National Security at the National Security Division, and Director General at the President’s Secretariat.
Chaudhri holds a Masters degree in International Law from the University of London and second Masters in Business Administration.
He is also an alumni of the National Defence University, Washington DC.