Syrus likely to replace Mahmood as foreign secretary

ISLAMABAD: Dr Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkey, is likely to replace Sohail Mahmood as a foreign secretary next month. The incumbent Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood will be completing his three years term at the office in March.

At present, Dr. Syrus Qazi is a senior most grade-21 officer and he is likely to be elevated to grade-22, the highest grade in the civil bureaucracy, within a month. Well-placed diplomatic sources told The News Monday that Dr Syrus Qazi has served on significant diplomatic slots in Washington, New Delhi and other countries. Besides, he also served at the Prime Minister office in 2013.

Incumbent Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, who was serving as high commissioner to New Delhi prior to assuming the office, is expected to become envoy in Ankara, where he had earlier served as ambassador for Turkey. He is attaining superannuation in September this year. In another important development, Special Secretary Foreign Minister Office Raza Bashir Tarar will be appointed as ambassador for Japan. He was high commissioner for Canada before returning to the headquarters. Tarar is good at Japanese language and had served in Tokyo back in 2003 for two years. He is going to replace Imtiaz Ahmad who is retiring next month after attaining superannuation.