Pakistan Foreign Min Bilawal Bhutto to reshuffle country's envoys in US & other nations

After conferring with State Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and other top officials, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will reshuffle the country's envoys later this month. According to The News International, Pakistani ambassadors stationed in key foreign capitals would be reshuffled later this month.

The media agency reported citing the sources that the new government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would prefer to provide opportunities to career diplomats in the Foreign Service in the upcoming reshuffle rather than appointing political envoys. Former US ambassador Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, who was in the news in March for a so-called diplomatic cable that former Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed revealed a US conspiracy to depose him, has been allowed to leave the country for his next posting.

For more than two months, Dr. Asad Majeed was kept at the headquarters for discussions and investigations. Early next week, he will be sworn in as Pakistan's ambassador to Belgium and the European Union (EU) in Brussels. He will take over the duty on May 10. According to several media reports, Pakistan will soon have new ambassadors/high commissioners in various capitals where contractual envoys nominated by the previous government are currently functioning.

They are expected to retire as soon as the administration changes, according to sources, and the incoming government has yet to decide whether or not to keep any such envoys. Muneer Akram, the country's UN permanent representative (PR), would be removed of his duties immediately. For the second year in a row, he has taken advantage of contractual service for a two-year period.

Pakistan's ambassador to US to immediately resign

According to their contracts, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Sardar Masood Khan, and all non-career/contractual ambassadors/high commissioners will immediately resign. Afzal Mahmood, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will retire later this month as well.

Early next month, the UAE will be represented by a new ambassador. Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, who has served in his current position for three years, will be allocated a key capital on a contract basis in the next weeks, according to well-placed diplomatic sources. Soon after the Eid holiday, his replacement will be discussed.

Zaheer Aslam Janjua, Pakistan's ambassador to the EU and Belgium, will take over as the country's high commissioner to Canada later this month. Later this week, he will leave Brussels to travel to Ottawa. Moreover, Imtiaz Ahmad, Pakistan's ambassador to Japan, has stepped down after reaching retirement threshold. Ismat Hassan Sial, a senior diplomat, has taken over as the mission's charge d'affaires. She will remain in charge until the new envoy arrives in Tokyo.

This month, Ireland's High Commission in Dublin and Greece's High Commission in Athens will both become vacant. According to reports, a new high commissioner could be appointed in London to replace Moazzam Ahmad Khan, who would be requested to return to the headquarters. By the end of the year, he will be leaving the military. Later next month, Pakistan will appoint a new high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

(With agency inputs)

Image: PTI