Reshuffle in Foreign Office: Dr Syrus tipped to be new foreign secretary

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey Dr Syrus Sajjad Qazi is being considered for appointment as the new foreign secretary of the country. He will replace Sohail Mahmood, who will be retiring next month.

Dr Syrus Qazi is currently Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkey where Junaid Yousaf has been appointed as the new envoy. Well-placed diplomatic sources told The News here Wednesday that the government in a major reshuffle has changed nine ambassadors and additional secretaries.

Additional Foreign Secretary for America Syed Faisal Niaz Tirmzi has been appointed Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) vice Afzaal Mahmood, who has attained superannuation and retired from the service. Special Secretary Raza Bashir Tarar has been made ambassador to Japan where Imtiaz Ahmad relinquished the assignment in February this year on completion of period of his service.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved transfers and postings in the Foreign Office. Additional Secretary for the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who is also the spokesman for the Foreign Office, will become the country’s ambassador to France where Moinul Haq was the ambassador three years ago. Since then, Paris is without an ambassador.

Moin was first posted high commissioner to India but couldn’t proceed to New Delhi due to downgrading of diplomatic ties on account of annexation of occupied Kashmir. He was later posted ambassador to China and still working there. Additional Secretary Ali Javed Nasir has been appointed ambassador to Italy where Jauhar Saleem has completed his tenure and upon returning to the headquarters, he would become Director General of Foreign Service Academy (DG FSA).

Former spokesperson for the Foreign Office Ms Ayesha Farooqi has been appointed ambassador to Ireland. Asif Memon has become ambassador to Hungry to replace Dr Muhammad Aejaz. The acting high commissioner in India, Aftab Hasan Khan, has been appointed high commissioner to South Africa vice Mazhar Javed, who will be reporting to the headquarters and will be made an additional secretary.

With this, Salman Sharif will become Charge D’ Affaires in Indian capital New Delhi. Aamar Aftab Qureshi has been designated as ambassador to Greece to replace Muhammad Nadim Khan, who is retiring this year.

Amar Aftab is currently the additional secretary Afghanistan and West Asia Affairs. Fawad Shair has been appointed Pakistan’s permanent envoy for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah to replace Rizwan Saeed Sheikh.

Another diplomat Zahid Nasarullah, who was the ambassador to Afghanistan, has relinquished duties in the Foreign Office upon attaining superannuation. He has been appointed member of the Federal Public Service Commission for a period of three years.