India’s first-ever woman CdA assumes responsibility in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: India’s new Charge d’Affaires (CdA) for Pakistan Ms Geetika Srivastava has assumed her assignment in Islamabad. For the first time since Independence, a woman has become India’s head of mission in Pakistan. Interestingly, Islamabad has been declared by the Indian Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) as a “non-family station,” a designation that limits women officers from taking up assignment in the capital.

Srivastava made her maiden public appearance here at Nepal’s Constitution Day and National Day reception on Wednesday evening, which was hosted by Nepalese Ambassador Tapas Adhikari at a local hotel.

The new Indian diplomat is from the 2005 batch of Indian Foreign Service. She succeeded Dr M Suresh Kumar who stayed here for about three years and left for New Delhi on late Wednesday evening.

Srivastava was serving as Joint Secretary at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi before moving to Islamabad.

Federal Minister Sami Saeed was the chief guest at the Nepalese reception where acting Foreign Secretary Mumtaz Zahra Baloch represented the Foreign Office. Former federal ministers Sherry Rehman, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, which was hosted by Nepalese Ambassador Tapas Adhikari at a local hotel. The new Indian diplomat is from the 2005 batch of Indian Foreign Service. She succeeded Dr M Suresh Kumar who stayed here for about three years and left for New Delhi on late Wednesday evening.

Srivastava was serving as Joint Secretary at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi before moving to Islamabad. Federal Minister Sami Saeed was the chief guest at the Nepalese reception where acting Foreign Secretary Mumtaz Zahra Baloch represented the Foreign Office. Former federal ministers Sherry Rehman, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Dr Shehzad Waseem, former foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood, Luqman Afzal Monal, Aziz Bulani, Advocate General Islamabad Ayyaz Shaukat and US Consul General Lahore Ludo Van Vooren and his spouse were conspicuous with their presence at the reception. The function was addressed by Ambassador Tapas Adhikari, Federal Minister Sami Saeed and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed.