Dr Maleeha takes charge as envoy to UN

NEW YORK: Dr Maleeha Lodhi, assuming the charge as Pakistan’s first woman ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations on Thursday, vowed to “protect and defend” the country’s vital interests at the world body.

“It is a great honour and privilege to represent Pakistan at such a critical moment for the country and a time when the world is undergoing fundamental changes,” she said.

Some of these changes pose new challenges, while others offer opportunities, she said.

Another key priority for Pakistan is to promote peace and stability in South Asia. This, she said, involves addressing the issue of Kashmir and the present fraught border situation with India.