LAHORE: The federal government on Friday appointed Dr Mujtaba Piracha – a Grade 21 officer from Pakistan Administrative Service – as permanent representative at the Mission of Pakistan to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr Piracha’s nomination was approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan after a summary was finalised and moved to him by a special selection board.

“The prime minister has seen and is pleased to approve the nomination of Dr Muhammad Mujtaba Piracha (PAS/BS-21), merit No 1 of the panel finalised by the special selection board t para 4 of the summary, as Pakistan’s ambassador / permanent representative, permanent mission of Pakistan to the WTO, Geneva,” reads a notification issued by Muhammad Azam Khan, secretary to the premier, on Friday night.

Dr Piracha is a highly qualified officer, who has a PhD degree from the Institute of Development Studies of the University of Sussex, UK. He has served in Balochistan for five years, with the finance, planning and development department, as industry and commerce secretary, Lahore commissioner and most recently Punjab’s additional chief secretary (services economy).

“It is a decision based on merit, as Dr Mujtaba Piracha can perform better as the country’s representative to the WTO than others. I hope he will do his best,” said a senior official close to Dr Piracha.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2019