Amna Baloch to be appointed 'foreign secretary'

• Baloch to replace Dr Syrus Sajjad Qazi, who retires soon.
• She is set to assume her duties on Sep 11, say sources.
• Mumtaz Zahra to be appointed as ambassador to France.
  

ISLAMABAD: Major appointments are expected at the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the post of foreign secretary and spokesperson of the Foreign Office, sources told Geo News on Thursday.

According to the sources, Amna Baloch — a Grade 22 officer of the Foreign Service of Pakistan — will be appointed for the office of the foreign secretary, replacing Dr Syrus Sajjad Qazi following his retirement.

Baloch is set to assume her duties on September 11, sources said. She is, interestingly, the second woman federal secretary appointed by the government in a month after Ambreen Jan, who was appointed information and broadcasting secretary this month.

Meanwhile, Qazi has been tipped to get an ambassadorial slot in an important country post-retirement.

FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, on the other hand, is being appointed as Pakistan's ambassador to France where she will be replacing Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, as per the sources, but her replacement has not yet been reported.

Ahmad, meanwhile, has been designated as Pakistan’s permanent representative for the United Nations to replace veteran Munir Akram.

Mumtaz is currently serving as spokesperson and AFS (Strategic Communications Division and Public Diplomacy) in the FO. She had served as ambassador for South Korea and minister/deputy head of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in China prior to her posting at the headquarters.

Earlier today, The News — citing highly placed sources in the Prime Minister’s Office — said PM Shahbaz Sharif approved the summary of appointments on the recommendations of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, in his capacity as the foreign minister for the appointment of new foreign secretary.

The prime minister has also approved changes to Pakistan’s envoys in different capitals, including Paris, Ottawa, Pretoria, Brunei and Kuwait.

Additional Foreign Secretary Ambassador Muhammad Saleem has been appointed high commissioner for Canada vice Zaheer Aslam Janjua, who has called it a day upon completion of his service tenure.

Muhammad Saleem is a senior diplomat, who is currently AS administration at the Foreign Office.

Janbaz Khan has been appointed ambassador for Brunei Darussalam to replace retired Major General Farhat Abbas Sani, sources said, while Pakistan’s ambassador in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Syed Faisal Niaz Tirmizi has been posted as ambassador for Belgium and he will also be the envoy for the European Union (EU).

Malik Muhammad Farooq, ambassador in Kuwait, has been appointed high commissioner for South Africa, added the sources, replacing Aftab Hasan Khan, the sources said.

Who is Amna Baloch?

Ambassador Baloch is currently serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

She was earlier posted as high commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia before joining as the country’s ambassador in the present capital.

Baloch has been intimated about the decision of the government on her appointment.

She received a master’s degree in history and joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1991. 

She has served on various assignments at the headquarters and missions abroad during her career including Consul General of Pakistan at Chengdu, China, Minister Counsellor at Colombo, Sri Lanka, joint secretary at the PMO and additional secretary in the foreign minister’s office.