ISLAMABAD, May 14: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Sherry Rehman, has resigned following PPP’s defeat in general elections.

Ms Rehman who played a crucial role in normalising relations with the US after tense events of 2011-12 tendered her resignation on Tuesday to caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso.

According to a message posted on Pakistan embassy’s official Twitter account, Ms Sherry congratulated the winner.

She is quoted as having said: “It is time a new envoy comes in as quickly as possible so that there is no gap in the relationship.”

Though as tradition all political ambassadors stand retired with the change in government, Ms Rehman is so far the only one to have formally resigned.

During its tenure the PPP appointed about 17 non-career ambassadors, many of whom may be replaced. The only ones likely to be retained are retired generals and those who were serving after retirement from Foreign Service.

Besides Washington, some of the important capitals where political ambassadors are currently serving include London, Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Muscat, Kiev and Mexico City.

Ms Rehman had earlier offered to resign when the tenure of the PPP government had ended in March, but she was asked by President Zardari to continue till the formation of the new government.

Ms Rehman replaced Hussain Haqqani in Washington last year following the Memogate issue, which had led to a row between the military establishment and the then PPP government.

Mr Haqqani was forced to resign because of allegations of his involvement with the memo allegedly seeking US help for preventing a military takeover.

Ms Rehman took over the assignment at one of the most difficult times in Pak-US relations. Pakistan was on that occasion re-defining its relations with the US because of the Salala border post attack.

The outgoing ambassador worked closely with Capital Hill and bureaucracy in Washington to advocate the Pakistan’s cause and was successful in putting the rocky bilateral relationship on an even keel.