Amna Baloch set to appoint as Foreign Secretary of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Significant changes are anticipated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with major appointments expected for the roles of foreign secretary and spokesperson.

Amna Baloch, a Grade 22 officer in the Foreign Service of Pakistan, is set to be appointed as the new foreign secretary, succeeding Dr. Syrus Sajjad Qazi who is retiring.

Baloch will assume her role on September 11 and will be the second female federal secretary appointed by the government this month, following Ambreen Jan’s appointment as information and broadcasting secretary.

Dr. Qazi is expected to be assigned an ambassadorial position in a key country after his retirement.

FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch is slated to become Pakistan’s ambassador to France, replacing Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. Ahmad will take on the role of Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, succeeding veteran Munir Akram.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, currently the FO spokesperson and AFS (Strategic Communications Division and Public Diplomacy), previously served as ambassador to South Korea and deputy head of Mission in China.

The News reported earlier that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved these appointments based on recommendations from Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as foreign minister.

Additionally, changes have been approved for several other diplomatic positions, including high commissioners and ambassadors in various countries.

Additional Foreign Secretary Ambassador Muhammad Saleem will become high commissioner to Canada, replacing Zaheer Aslam Janjua. Janbaz Khan will be appointed as ambassador to Brunei, succeeding Major General Farhat Abbas Sani.

Syed Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, currently Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, will be posted as ambassador to Belgium and the EU. Malik Muhammad Farooq, the ambassador to Kuwait, will move to serve as high commissioner to South Africa, replacing Aftab Hasan Khan.