ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Pakistan’s new deputy high commissioner to India Munawar Saeed Bhatti, who was granted assignment visa by the Indian government on Tuesday, would proceed to New Delhi early next month, sources in the foreign office told Dawn on Wednesday.

“If all goes well he (Mr Bhatti) will leave for New Delhi by first week of March,” said a senior official at the foreign ministry.

The foreign office spokesman had said on Tuesday that Mr Bhatti would join the high commission in New Delhi shortly.

Mr Bhatti was issued the assignment visa a day after Islamabad and New Delhi had agreed to grant visas to deputy high commissioners appointed by both governments to fill the vacant posts in the two capitals.

The government of Pakistan on Tuesday had issued the assignment visa to senior Indian diplomat T.C.A. Raghavan who would replace Sudhir Vyas as the new deputy high commissioner in Islamabad.

A five-liner statement issued by the foreign office on Tuesday claimed credit for the positive development nine days after India and Pakistan expelled each other’s deputy high commissioners.

“As a result of an initiative taken by the government of Pakistan on Feb 14, visas were simultaneously issued today to T.C.A. Raghavan, deputy high commissioner (designate) of India, and Munawar Saeed Bhatti, deputy high commissioner (designate) of Pakistan,” read the statement.

A senior diplomat, Mr Bhatti is serving as director, India, at the foreign ministry. He has served previously at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi. He was posted there as first secretary, political, in mid-nineties. He has also served in Pakistan missions in Dubai and Bangladesh. His last posting abroad was in New York as counsellor at the Pakistan mission to the United Nations till early 2001.

Pakistani officials have welcomed this move. “We hope this encouraging move will lead to more positive developments in Pakistan-India relations,” said a senior diplomat.

High commissions in both countries have been without ambassadors since last year. The staff strength at the two commissions is at its lowest with less than 50 members left in each high commission.