Asim Iftikhar to assume charge as Pakistan’s additional representative to UN this month

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador Asim Iftikhar, currently Pakistan’s envoy in Paris, will be heading to the UN in mid-December as Pakistan’sadditional permanent representative to the United Nations, official sources tell The News.

The post of additional permanent representative was announced by the Foreign Office in June this year and this will be the first time that there will be two envoys at the UN simultaneously.Ambassador Munir Akram, a political appointee, is Pakistan’s permanent representative at the UN and has served in the same post for twelve years -- over two different tenures. At nearly 80 years of age, he is one of the oldest ambassadors of Pakistan.

Even though his job title is additional permanent representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar will be entitled to all the privileges accorded to an ambassador.Reportedly, Ambassador Iftikhar will not have to wait too long before taking over as Pakistan’s permanent representative at the UN. According to official sources, “The decision has been made by the government that Ambassador Asim Iftikhar will be made permanent representative in a couple of months and Ambassador Munir Akram will step down”.

One of the main reasons to elevate Ambassador Asim Iftikhar as permanent representative as soon as possible is because Pakistan takes its place as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term starting January 2025-2026, elected with overwhelming support in the UN General Assembly.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar is to be replaced by Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch as Pakistan’s ambassador to France. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already approved the summary sent by the Foreign Office and the Foreign Office is waiting for approval by the French government.

No official announcement, however, has been made by the Foreign Office regarding Baloch’s appointment. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch is currently the spokesperson and Additional Foreign Secretary (Strategic Communications Division and Public Diplomacy) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She served as ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Korea (2020-2021) and as minister/deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in China (2015-2020).

Meanwhile, with the current ambassador to the United Arab Emirates asked to stay in place, efforts are being made by the Foreign Office to nominate a new envoy for Brussels.“Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, currently Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, who was supposed to take up his new assignment as ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union has been asked to stay in place for one more year”, say diplomatic sources.

The reason -- according to media reports -- was that the government had wanted to send Lt-Gen (retd) Muhammad Aamer to the UAE so that Ambassador Tirmizi could move to Brussels, but the appointment did not work out for undisclosed reasons.

At the moment, there is no Pakistani ambassador in Brussels, but a new envoy is expected as Brussels is too important a capital to leave vacant. Among other issues, an EU delegation is due in Pakistan in the first half of 2025 to discuss the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP).

While the Foreign Office has decided to send a new ambassador to the EU in place of Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, no new name has been announced. Per one official, “As far as I know, no new names are under consideration. Maybe shortly but earlier because of SCO all plans were delayed”.

Muhammad Saleh Zaafir adds: Muhammad Sameeur Rehman Khan, who is ambassador in Morocco, is leaving for Bern to assume charge as ambassador in Switzerland. Dr. Khalid Memon has been transferred from Warsaw.

The additional secretary for the United Nations at the headquarters, Syed Haider Shah, has been designated ambassador to the Netherlands. Ambassador to Japan Raza Bashir Tarrar and Ambassador to Phillpines Qazi Imtiaz are relinquishing their charge shortly on completing their service. Tarrar had been given a one-year extension last year.

Pakistan’s ambassador to Qatar in Doha, Muhammad Aejaz, has been transferred to Minsk as ambassador to Belarus vice Sajjad Haider Khan. The former commander of Gujranwala Corps General (retd) Muhammad Aamer, who completed his service tenure last year, is replacing Dr Aejaz. Qatar has granted its consent for his appointment through dispatching agreement. Retired Lt. General Muhammad Aamer had served as military secretary to the president during the first stint of President Asif Ali Zardari. He has served on various important staff, instructional and command assignments.

Suljuk Mustansar Tarar, who is ambassador to the Netherlands, has been made ambassador to Indonesia to replace Ameer Khurram Rathore, who has attained superannuation. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Switzerland Aamer Shaukat is being transferred to Egypt, where Ambassador Sajid Iqbal is retiring.