May 14, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, May 13: The Foreign Office has nominated three senior-most diplomats for the post of Pakistan’s high commissioner to India, informed sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

The three officials nominated by Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar are: Aziz Ahmed Khan, Tariq Osman Haider and Javed Hassan. Additional Foreign Secretary Aziz Ahmed Khan is now serving as the Foreign Office spokesman, Mr Haider is serving as Additional Secretary (UN) and Mr Hassan is posted as Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran.

Mr Aziz Khan served as minister and deputy head of the mission in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi from 1985 to 1987.

The foreign secretary forwarded the names of the three serving officials to the Prime Minister’s secretariat and the Presidency on Monday, the sources said.

The final decision on this key appointment will be taken by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali and approved by President Gen Pervez Musharraf. However, the sources said the shake-up at the Prime Minister’s secretariat on Tuesday might result in a few days’ delay in the taking of decision.

While the Foreign Office advocates appointment of a career diplomat, the government is also considering probable political appointees for the high-profile diplomatic slot.

Names of Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, and Inamul Haq, former foreign secretary and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, have been short-listed in this category.