Amna Baloch to be new foreign secretary

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s new Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch will assume her office next month (September 11) to replace Dr Syrus Sajjad Qazi upon his retirement.

Highly placed sources in the Prime Minister’s Office told The News here Wednesday that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved the summary on the recommendations of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, in his capacity as the foreign minister for the appointment of new foreign secretary.

Qazi has been tipped to get an ambassadorial slot in an important country after his retirement. The prime minister has also approved changes to Pakistan’s envoys in different capitals, including Paris, Ottawa, Pretoria, Brunei and Kuwait.

Ambassador Baloch, who is a Grade 22 officer of the Foreign Service of Pakistan, is currently Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg. She was serving as high commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia before joining as the country’s ambassador in the present capital.

Baloch has been intimated about the decision of the government on her appointment. She received a master’s degree in history and joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1991. She has served on various assignments at the headquarters and missions abroad during her career including Consul General of Pakistan at Chengdu, China, Minister Counsellor at Colombo, Sri Lanka, joint secretary at the PMO and additional secretary in the foreign minister’s office.

Interestingly, she is the second woman federal secretary appointed by the Shahbaz government in a month after Ambreen Jan, who was appointed information and broadcasting secretary this month.

Additional Foreign Secretary Ambassador Muhammad Saleem has been appointed high commissioner for Canada vice Zaheer Aslam Janjua, who has called it a day upon completion of his service tenure. Muhammad Saleem is a senior diplomat, who is currently AS administration at the Foreign Office.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has been appointed Ambassador to France to replace Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who has been designated as Pakistan’s permanent representative for the United Nations to replace veteran Munir Akram. Mumtaz Baloch is currently serving as spokesperson and AFS (Strategic Communications Division & Public Diplomacy) in the Foreign Office. She had served as ambassador for South Korea and minister/ deputy head of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in China prior to her posting at the headquarters.

Janbaz Khan has been appointed ambassador for Brunei Darussalam to replace retired Major General Farhat Abbas Sani. Pakistan’s ambassador in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Syed Faisal Niaz Tirmizi has been posted as ambassador for Belgium and he will also be the envoy for the European Union (EU). Malik Muhammad Farooq, ambassador in Kuwait, has been appointed high commissioner for South Africa, replacing Aftab Hasan Khan, the sources said.