Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit may become the country’s new Foreign Secretary, media reports said here on Saturday.
The Nawaz Sharif government has “in principle” decided to appoint Mr. Basit as the country’s new Foreign Secretary, replacing Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who has been designated as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S., the News daily reported.
Prime Minister Sharif, who handles the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, has concluded consultations for appointing a new administrative head of the Foreign Office, the daily said.
It is likely that the announcement pertaining to the appointment will be made next week, the report said.
Mr, Basit, 58, is the senior-most among the contenders for the top post.
Other contenders
Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations Tehmina Janjua, former Chief of Protocol and Ambassador to France Ghalib Iqbal, Ambassador for Denmark Masroor Junejo and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the U.K. Syed Ibne Hasan were among the other contenders. Mr. Basit, who has varied experience of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, was selected for the job three years ago, but could not be appointed for technical reasons and was instead posted as High Commissioner in New Delhi.
He was previously serving as the Ambassador to Germany.
Pakistan will take the decision about the new High Commissioner in India after Mr. Basit’s return, the daily said. — PTI
