Major reshuffle takes place in Pakistan’s diplomatic corps

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Mustafa Rabbani being posted as consul general to Jeddah while Khokhar will be posted as CG to Montreal

Centreline Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will replace ambassadors in eight capitals, including Russia, Australia, Romania, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Niger, Kyrgyzstan, and Ireland, as part of a major diplomatic shakeup. Additionally, there are two consul generals assigned to two significant consulates.

Aisha Farooqui, Pakistan’s ambassador to Ireland, will take Dr Khalid Jamali’s post as Russia’s ambassador in Moscow. The current additional foreign secretary for the Americas, Maryam Aftab, will be sent to Ireland as ambassador.

Altamash Wazir Khan, director general Middle East at the Foreign Office, will be sent to Kyrgyzstan. In order to succeed Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary as high commissioner for Australia, Irfan Shaukat is travelling to Canberra.

Ilyas Nizamani would be posted as ambassador to Romania replacing Muhammad Arshad Jan Pathan. Tariq Kareem is being considered for Myanmar as ambassador replacing Imran Haider. Haider has been designated as high commissioner for Bangladesh vice Syed Ahmad Maroof. Shah Faisal Kakkar will be appointed ambassador in Niamey, Niger, replacing Ahmad Ali Sarohiee.

Mustafa Rabbani is being posted as consul general to Jeddah while Shahbaz Hussain Khokhar will be posted as consul general to Montreal (Canada). Khokhar is currently serving as the director general Europe at the Foreign Office.

The incumbent envoy to Russia, Ambassador Khalid Jamali, who is one of the senior-most officers of the Foreign Service in Grade 22 is likely to hang his gloves after return to the headquarters. Zahid Hafeez Chaudhary is being posted as Additional Foreign Secretary whereas Syed Ahmad Maroof will be assigned an important responsibility in the Foreign Office upon his return to the headquarters, the sources said.