WASHINGTON: US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman is stepping down as of Dec 14, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

A senior State Department official David Pearce will serve as acting representative until a permanent successor is found.

Mr Grossman became the US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan on Feb 22, 2011.

He replaced the late Richard Holbrooke who had died of a heart attack he had while in a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Mr Grossman was picked by Secretary Clinton and had always said he’d stay as long as the secretary did. Secretary Clinton plans to step down soon. Mr Grossman also served as US Ambassador to Turkey, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs and Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

Mr Pearce is a US Foreign Service officer with the rank of an ambassador.

In 2011, he was the assistant chief of Mission at the US embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. He also served as an ambassador to Algeria.