Pakistan without full-time foreign secretary for over a month

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch appointed new Foreign Office spokesperson

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan is without a full-time foreign secretary for over a month, with no clarity from the government as to what is causing the delay in such a key appointment.

The position of foreign secretary had fallen vacant after Sohail Mehmood retired in late September after reaching the age of superannuation. Instead of appointing a fulltime foreign secretary, the government gave additional charge of foreign secretary to Jauhar Saleem, a Grade 22 officer of the Foreign Service and currently posted as special secretary, Europe.

“Mr Jauhar Saleem, a BS-22 officer of Foreign Service of Pakistan, presently posted as special secretary, Europe, is assigned to look after the charge of the post of secretary, foreign affairs, in addition to his own duties, with immediate effect and until further orders,” read a notification issued by the Establishment Division.

Sources said the government move was a stop-gap arrangement as Cyrus Qazi, a Grade-21 officer of the Foreign Service and the outgoing ambassador to Turkey, would eventually be appointed as the new foreign secretary. Since he is a Grade-21 officer, he would first be promoted to Grade-22.

The promotion board meeting, which was expected in the first week of November, however, has yet to take place, and there is no clarity when the fulltime foreign secretary will be appointed. The sources said that the stop-gap arrangement is certainly affecting the working of the Foreign Office as Johar Saleem having a look after charge of foreign secretary could not take the key policy decisions.

Also read: Govt delays naming chief diplomat

It was earlier reported that Asad Majid – who as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington wrote the cypher in March, which the former prime minister, Imran Khan, had cited as “evidence of US conspiracy” behind the removal of his government through a vote of no-confidence – would be appointed as the new foreign secretary. But as the new audio leaks that brought the cable to the spotlight again, the government apparently was forced to review its decision.

New FO spokesperson

Meanwhile, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, currently serving as Additional Secretary Asia & Pacific, was appointed as the spokesperson of the Foreign Office. She has replaced Asim Iftikhar, who has been appointed as Pakistan’s Ambassador to France.

Baloch has previously served as ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Korea (2020-21), minister/deputy head of mission at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing (2015-20), counsellor for political affairs at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington (2006-11) and second secretary at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations, Geneva (1999-2002).

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs she has served as director (America), Director (Security Council and Human Rights) and director (Strategic Planning) in the Office of the Foreign Secretary. During 2014-15, she served as director (Academic Programme) and later as director general of the Foreign Service Academy, Islamabad.

Baloch holds Masters degree in Physics from the Punjab University, Lahore, a Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA and a degree from the prestigious Ecole Nationale d' Administration, France.

Also the Foreign Office, for the first time, appointed a deputy spokesperson. “It has been decided that Saima Sayed, Director General (Strategic Communication Division) will serve as the deputy spokesperson of the ministry in addition to her own duties, with immediate effect and until further orders,” read a notification.