Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi assumed responsibilities as the country’s 32nd foreign secretary on Thursday, replacing Asad Majeed Khan who retired from government service upon attaining superannuation, Radio Pakistan reported.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Foreign Office (FO) stated, “Ambassador Syrus Qazi has assumed responsibilities as the 32nd foreign secretary of Pakistan.”

The FO further said, “Ambassador Qazi brings with him an extensive experience in bilateral & multilateral diplomacy with postings in India, US & UN Geneva.”

It added that the newly appointed official has served as the ambassador to Hungary from 2015 to 2017 and to Turkiye as well from 2017 to 2022.

Following the announcement, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Ali Bagheri congratulated Qazi and wished him success in the “heavy responsibility you have taken on at this time”.

“Pakistan is our friendly and brotherly neighbour, and I am happy to work closely with you,” the Iranian official had added.

In response, Qazi thanked Bagheri for the “warm felicitations” and reciprocated the desire to work closely in “further strengthening the close brotherly relations” between the two countries.

The development comes a day after he had been appointed to the role, according to the FO.

Following the appointment, the ex-foreign secretary had also wished Qazi success, terming him “one of our best and most experienced diplomats”.

In March this year, the High Powered Selection Board (HPSB) — headed by former premier Shehbaz Sharif — had promoted Qazi of the Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP) to Grade 22.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MoFA) website, the 59-year-old joined the FSP in 1990 and holds an MBBS degree.

Qazi has acted as Pakistan’s “third secretary/second secretary” in Geneva from September 1995 to December 1999, as the first secretary in New Delhi from February 2005 to July 2006 and as the first secretary/counsellor/minister for Pakistan in Washington from August 2006 to June 2013.

He has served as the Pakistani ambassador to Hungary from November 2015 to August 2017 and to Turkiye from September 2017 to October 2022, as per MoFA’s website.

Qazi has also remained on deputation as the joint secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office from June 2013 to October 2015, the MoFA website states.

Asad Majeed’s retirement

In a post on X on Wednesday, Khan had officially announced that he was retiring from the position.

“As I retire, I want to thank all those who have been part of this incredible journey for their cooperation during my long and eventful career,’ he had stated.

Recalling his nearly 35-year-long career in the FSP, Khan had said, “While I will not hold any official position, public service remains my passion and giving back in whatever humble way I can, my priority.

He had also paid a farewell call to Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, where the latter congratulated him on a “distinguished career” and wished him well for the future.

FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had said Khan will be remembered for steering the MoFA in a “challenging international environment”.

“He has earned great admiration, respect and gratitude. We thank him for his services and wish him our best as he embarks on a new journey post-retirement,” she added.

Khan had been appointed to the position on Dec 2, 2022 following the retirement of Sohail Mahmood in September the same year.