34 new trade officers get diplomatic status

ISLAMABAD: There has been a significant progress in appointing trade officers abroad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has granted diplomatic status to 34 new trade officers.

The new trade officers will get diplomatic passports along with their families and their security clearance has also been completed. They will join next week. The process of granting diplomatic status to five trade officers has been postponed.

Meanwhile, the Federal Commerce Secretary has also approved the appointment of support staff for 17 stations,which includes commercial assistants and other staff.

The diplomatic status was given to new trade officers on the recommendation of the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of External Affairs approved diplomatic passports for 34 officers after confirming their appointments as trade officers.

Sources say that the process of giving diplomatic status to five out of 39 new trade officers has been postponed. Three trade officers of Grade 20 appointed for Sydney, Hong Kong and Washington got diplomatic status, while 9 new trade officers of Grade 19 and 22 and 9 new trade officers of Grade 18 were given diplomatic status. Five posts of Grade 20 in London, Riyadh, Jakarta, Shanghai and Addis Ababa were temporarily suspended due to which the officers approved for these stations have not been given diplomatic status.

Among the officers who have been given diplomatic status are Qamar Zaman Minister Sydney, Shehzad Ahmed Khan Minister Hong Kong, Muhammad Haneed Chana Minister Washington DC, Muhammad Shafiq Haider Consular Hague, Muhammad Yasir Hussain Consular Rome, Ahsan Riaz Chaudhry Consular Stockholm, Ali Rasool Consular Mexico, Ashfaq Ahmed Consular Geneva, Altamish Janjua Consular Toronto, Tahira Javed Consular Kuala Lumpur, Muhammad Ali Asghar Consular Madrid Muhammad Hasan Farid Consular Seoul, Adnan Mahmood Awan Consular New York, Yaha Ali Consular Tokyo, Muhammad Athar Ishaq Consular Warsaw, Dr. Mohammad Babar Chauhan Consular Sao Paulo, Riwana Qazi, Consular in Almaty, Ali Zeib Khan, Consular in Dubai, Muhammad Muazzam Raza, Consular in Bangkok, Sadia Khan, Consular in Jeddah, Nazish Sami, Consular in Buenos Aires, Babar Khan, Consular in Kandahar, Muhammad Owais Butt, Consular in Algeria, Adela Yunus, Consular in Nairobi, Muhammad Imran, Consular Gong Tzu, Owais Hussain Farooqui Second Secretary Manchester, Salman Raza Second Secretary Houston, Saad Ahmed Khattak Second Secretary Oman, Faiza Shafqat Second Secretary Hanoi, Farah Khan Second Secretary Johannesburg, Mehwish Sami Colombo, Muhammad Samoon Basra Second Secretary Lagos, Muhammad Arunzeb Second Secretary Dakar and Asad Khan Faridi Second Secretary Cairo.

Trade Investment Consul Geneva Muhammad Ashfaq has also been granted diplomatic status. Officials of the Ministry of Commerce say that the process of appointing the remaining five officers will also be completed in the light of court orders next week.