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Moazzam Khan tipped to be Pakistan’s new envoy to India

Career diplomat Moazzam Ahmad Khan, who earlier served in New Delhi during 2003-06, is being tipped as Pakistan’s new high commissioner to India, people familiar with developments in Islamabad said on Monday.

Khan, who also served as spokesperson of Pakistan’s Foreign Office and director general in the foreign minister’s office, is expected to replace Sohail Mahmood, who returned to Islamabad over the weekend following his appointment as the next foreign secretary.

Currently Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Khan was also in the race for the foreign secretary’s post though he is several rungs below Mahmood in the seniority list, the people cited above said.

Pakistan’s next envoy to India will have to take on the onerous task of rebuilding bilateral ties, which plunged to an all-time low after the February 14 suicide attack by the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pulwama and the subsequent aerial engagement that heightened tensions.

Unlike his predecessor Abdul Basit, who angered the Indian government with his outreach to Kashmiri separatists and his blunt comments, Mahmood had quietly worked behind the scenes to try and improve ties by focussing on humanitarian issues such as the release of prisoners.

First Published:
Apr 15, 2019 20:03 IST

Source: HindustanTimes