ISLAMABAD, Nov 6: Pakistan has decided to reduce the staff strength of its embassy in Baghdad to a bare minimum, bringing it down to only five, officials sources told Dawn on Thursday.

The decision, they said, was taken about two weeks ago, following which a directive was issued to the Pakistan mission in Baghdad.

“On the directive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the second secretary and three staff members (of the Pakistani mission in Baghdad) have been recalled,” sources said.

Confirming the reduction in the embassy staff, a foreign ministry official said: “We monitor the situation in Iraq regularly and in view of the requirement, we have decided to reduce the embassy staff to a minimum.”

Pakistan embassy in Baghdad is now headed by a charge d’ affaires, who has the rank of a counsellor. The charge d’ affaires is the only Pakistani diplomat in Baghdad for the moment. Four staff members assist him.

Officials at the foreign ministry insisted that the withdrawal of the embassy staff was not prompted by the security situation in Baghdad.