MOFA posts 5 new ambassadors

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office will undertake another round of reshuffle this month as five important slots of additional Foreign Secretary are becoming vacant while at least five significant world capitals are receiving new ambassadors from Pakistan.

Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News here Saturday evening that Additional Foreign Secretary for Americas Ms. Mariam Madiha Aftab has been appointed as country’s ambassador for Ireland vice Ms. Aysha Farooqi. Ms. Aysha has been designated as ambassador for Portugal. Director General for South Asia Affairs Ilyas Mahmood Nizami at the headquarters will be Pakistan’s envoy for Romania. The incumbent Muhammad Arshad Jan Pathan has returned to Islamabad and he has been made Director General of Strategic Communication Division.

The ex-spokesman and special secretary of the Foreign Office, now Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan, is reaching Abu Dhabi next week to assume his post as the ambassador for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He is in Saudi Arabia these days to perform Umrah. His spouse Mariam Madiha has also been posted as ambassador in Ireland. Interestingly, both the husband and wife duo would be among the contenders for the foreign secretary’s slot next year when current Foreign Secretary Ms Amna Baloch retires, the sources hinted.

The former ambassador for the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, who has become ambassador for Russia is likely to present his credentials to Russian President Vladimir Putin early next month in Kremlin. In another noteworthy move, Pakistan’s ambassador for China Khalil Hashmi will continue in Beijing till next year when his replacement would be determined. Beijing is the largest diplomatic mission of Pakistan.

The sources said that Pakistan’s high commissioner for the United Kingdom Dr. Muhammad Faisal has informed the Foreign Office that he wouldn’t be interested to continue in posting abroad on completion of his current tenure. Dr. Faisal earlier served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Germany and prior to that very ably performed as spokesman of the MOFA till middle of 2019.

Meanwhile, sources pointed out that four Foreign Additional Secretaries are holding dual charge and they would be relieved from one upon reporting by envoys here who are returning to headquarter. It is understood that no further reshuffling of the envoys would be carried out till the second quarter of the next year.