ISLAMABAD, Aug: 4: Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Alamgir Babar left for Dhaka on Thursday to take up his new assignment. This is his first ambassadorial posting after serving in different capacities in Pakistan’s diplomatic missions abroad.

Mr Babar is a seasoned career diplomat who, prior to his appointment as the ambassador, was director-general Americas at the foreign ministry. Previously, he worked for United Nations missions in Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 1999 he was Pakistan’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations mission in New York. Earlier, he served in Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, India, and Pakistan embassy in Madrid, Spain.

His arrival in Bangladesh comes three months ahead of the twice-postponed 13th Saarc Summit that is being held in Dhaka.

Pakistan as the current chairman of Saarc would like the upcoming summit to increase political, cultural, diplomatic and economic cooperation among the seven member states, is the message that the ambassador-designate carries from Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for the leadership of the host country.

—Q.A.