ISLAMABAD, June 14: As tenure of Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Aziz Ahmed Khan nears end, consultations are under way in Islamabad to find an appropriate person to replace him. Mr Aziz’s tenure ends in August.
The Foreign Office, which is the lead name-identifying institution, is currently preparing a list of in-service diplomats who qualify to fill the high-profile slot.
Informed sources said names of four career diplomats are being considered for the key diplomatic posting. The four officials likely to be shortlisted are: Additional Secretary Zamir Akram who is currently serving at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Shahid Malik, High Commissioner to Canada, Kamran Niaz, ambassador to Japan and Asif Eizdi, ambassador to Germany. While Mr Eizdi is the senior-most diplomat, Mr. Akram, who previously served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Nepal and Shahid Malik are said to be strong candidates in the run.
Mr Zamir Akram is the younger brother of Mr Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN in New York.
Another probable candidate is Mr. Jalil Abbas Jilani who has served as director-general South Asia Division at the Foreign Ministry for three years. He was later given additional charge of Foreign Office spokesperson. Mr Jilani has recently completed the mandatory 10-month course at the National Defence College Islamabad. He has worked at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as the Deputy High Commissioner and later became the Acting High Commissioner. At the ministry he has also served as director India.
The Foreign Office will be dispatching the list of nominees to the PM’s Secretariat and the Presidency shortly, sources told Dawn. The final decision will be taken by the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and approved by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
