Pakistan envoy to UN feted

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Munir Akram has been included in the 14 most influential diplomats of the world organization.

He has a prominent position in the list of websites catering to news, analysis and diplomacy requirements and is now being referred to as the “Diplomatic Face of Pakistan”.

The website, called International Intrique, has been started by two former Australian foreign ministers who are currently based in the United States.

The website paid tribute to Pakistan’s senior diplomat Muneer Akram, calling him an influential diplomatic personality of Pakistan. It is to be noted that 80-year-old Munir Akram, a graduate of Karachi University, is holding the post for the second time. Before that, he held this position from 2002 to 2008. In 2008, after the general elections in the country, the PPP government, then Asif Zardari decided to investigate the murder of Benazir Bhutto from the United Nations. On which many institutions of Pakistan, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed some of their concerns, as a result of which the then Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan and Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, were among those who were removed from their posts.

At that time, these two important figures of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were of the view if this investigation was conducted by the United Nations, the fear that the investigation committee might seek access to Pakistan’s sensitive facilities. After which in 2015, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi was appointed as the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations.

However, in 2019, when Imran Khan visited the United States as the then prime minister, he removed Dr. Maleeha Lodhi despite acknowledging her diplomatic role in making her visit to the United States a success. Again Munir Akram was reappointed to the same post and Imran decision was termed highly unexpected, incomprehensible and unwise.