Pakistan’s ex-envoy to US reports to FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, whose cable pertaining to his discussion with an Under Secretary of State in Washington created huge political uproar back in Pakistan, has reported the Foreign Office. He is scheduled to take up his next assignment later this month.

Khan has already been designated country’s envoy for Belgium and will be simultaneously ambassador for the European Union (EU) in Brussels where he is supposed to represent Pakistan in the European Commission.

Dr. Asad Majeed Khan is meeting Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other high-ups in Islamabad. Well-placed diplomatic sources told The News here Friday that Dr. Asad Majeed Khan grade-22 officer of the prestigious Foreign Service, is being tipped for the slot of the foreign secretary since incumbent Sohail Mahmood is attaining superannuation in September next.

He has completed three years in the slot of the Foreign Secretary. The sources hinted that he could be posted as ambassador in Brussels on contractual basis for a period of two years.

The new envoy will replace Zaheer Aslam Janjua who is known as astute diplomat as he will be proceeding to Ottawa as High Commissioner for Canada at a vacant slot. Pakistan’s High Commissioner for Canada has already left for Riyadh to become ambassador for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The government recalled retired Lt Gen Bilal Akbar as ambassador and didn’t allow him to complete his tenure in Saudi capital. He was performing in effective manner and he declined to accept any other assignment. Iftikhar Asim spokesman for the Foreign Office didn’t respond the query about the possible appointment of Dr. Asad Majeed Khan as next foreign secretary when a communication was made to him on Friday evening.