Ten envoys on contract resign after govt change

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s 10 ambassadors/high commissioners, including Ambassador for the United States Sardar Masood Khan, Permanent Representative (PR) to the United Nations (UN) Ambassador Munir Akram and High Commissioner for Sri Lanka Major General (R) Umar Farooq Burki have offered their resignations. Highly-placed sources in the Foreign Office told The News here on Saturday that all the contractual ambassadors/high commissioners, including the aforementioned, are deemed to quit at the change of government as part of their agreement.

Country’s recently-retired Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan has been tipped to get the post of ambassador in China. He would replace Moeen-ul-Haq, who attained superannuation in February.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry has issued formal notification on reshuffling and transfers of posts in foreign countries. The Foreign Ministry, after the formation of caretaker set-up, has taken final decision to make appointments on the posts of career diplomats after the return of ambassadors from foreign countries.

According to the notification, Rahim Hayat Qureshi has been appointed as Additional Secretary Afghanistan, West Asia, Imran Ahmad Siddiqui as Additional Secretary for Asia Pacific, Maryam Aftab as Additional Secretary for America and Muhammad Saleem as Additional Secretary Administration.

While Shafqat Ali Khan has been appointed as Additional Secretary Europe, Imran Haider as Director General (Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey), K Ahsan Wagan as Director General Consular Affairs, Muhammad Ayub Director General Europe, and Muhammad Ameer Khan as Director General for China.

Jawwad Ali has been appointed as Director General UN, Ali Anser Zaidi as Director General Policy and Irfan Shaukat as Director General Middle East.