Zakhilwal tipped as new Afghan ambassador

ISLAMABAD: Former Afghan finance minister Dr Omar Zakhilwal has been tipped as the country’s new ambassador to Pakistan. Though not officially announced, Dr Zakhilwal will replace Janan Mosazai as Kabul’s top envoy in Islamabad.

An ethnic Pashtoon hailing from Nangarhar province which borders Pakistan, Dr Zakhilwal is primarily an economist and has served as former Afghan president Hamid Karzai’s top economic adviser and finance minister.



“I have accepted the honourable President’s [Ashraf Ghani’s] offer and have reached an agreement,” Dr Zakhilwal wrote on his official Facebook account on Wednesday. “The president has asked me to accept the responsibility of ambassador in Islamabad during this sensitive time.”

Dr Zakhilwal added that President Ghani emphasised the “creation of an environment of trust with Pakistan so both [Afghanistan and Pakistan] can work for broad-based peace on the basis of national sovereignty and national interests of Afghanistan.”

Dr Zakhilwal vowed to work for peace, security and stability in the two neighbouring countries and the region.



“As I myself also give a special importance to these objectives and favour creating good relations with Pakistan for common interest, I consider this approach key to the peace, security, stability and prosperity of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the region.”

He referred to his previous role in negotiations with Pakistan for the energy project which would see electricity exported from Central Asia to Pakistan via Afghanistan.



“Such other major projects have also been agreed upon but progress has yet to be made. Pakistan and Afghanistan should create consensus on these issues,” he said, hinting to the possible agendas he would work on during his tenure.


Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2015.