ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has appointed Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad as the country’s 34th foreign secretary, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced this week.
Ahmad, 59, currently serves as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN). He has represented Islamabad at the UN and the Security Council and has presented Pakistan’s position on major international issues.
His recent diplomatic work has included Pakistan’s stance on the US-Iran conflict, Israel’s war in Gaza, the Kashmir dispute and other global developments.
Ahmad will succeed Amna Baloch, who is due to retire from government service on Sept. 17. Baloch became Pakistan’s 33rd foreign secretary on Sept. 11, 2024, becoming only the second woman to hold the position.
“I am confident that, under Ambassador Asim’s leadership, the Foreign Office will continue to advance Pakistan’s interests with clarity, professionalism and purpose,” Dar said in a post on X on Wednesday.
He also praised Baloch for her service and said she would take charge as Pakistan’s ambassador to Türkiye after her retirement from government service.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved both appointments, Dar said.
Ahmad is a career diplomat who joined Pakistan’s Foreign Service in 1993. He has held several senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served at Pakistan’s diplomatic missions abroad.
Before becoming Pakistan’s UN envoy, Ahmad served as additional secretary for UN and Economic Diplomacy from March to November 2022. He also served as the Foreign Office spokesperson from August 2021 to November 2022.
Ahmad holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore.
