Rizwan Saeed Sheikh will replace Masood Khan as envoy to the United States of America.
According to the media reports, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement today (Friday, June 28) that Pakistan has decided to replace Masood Khan and appoint Additional Foreign Secretary (Middle East and SIFC) Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh as envoy to the United States.
Since February 2022, Masood Khan has held the position of ambassador to Washington. In November 2021, Imran Khan, who was prime minister at the time, nominated him for the position.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the government has chosen to designate Asim Iftikhar, a prominent diplomat currently serving as Pakistan’s ambassador in France, as its extra-permanent representative to the UN. This is a significant diplomatic move. She stated that Iftikhar would take over Munir Akram’s position as a permanent representative when the time was right. Akram began serving in this capacity on November 1, 2019.
The spokeswoman stated that the advertising of the appointments was standard practice and that the appointments had been thought out for several weeks. She expressed sadness over the situation, stating that Pakistan has decided to maintain ties with the US based on mutual respect and non-interference when responding to the US House of Representatives resolution.
She stated that the US Congress needs to endeavor to enhance ties between the US and Pakistan, noting that Pakistan has informed the US of its grave concerns on the resolution. She claimed that the US House of Representatives’ resolution amounted to unjustified meddling in Pakistan’s domestic affairs.
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