ISLAMABAD, March 4: The government has informed India that Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner designate Munawar Saeed Bhatti will arrive in New Delhi on March 11, foreign office sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

Mr Bhatti will travel to the Indian capital via Dubai on Tuesday. With Mr Bhatti’s arrival in New Delhi the strength of the Pakistan high commission will increase to 42 personnel.

A senior diplomat, Mr Bhatti has previously also served in New Delhi as first secretary, political, in the mid-90s when the present foreign secretary, Riaz Khokhar, was high commissioner. Prior to this Mr Bhatti was director, India, at the ministry of foreign affairs. He has also served in Pakistan missions in the UAE and Bangladesh. His last posting abroad was in New York.

Mr Bhatti’s Indian counterpart, T.C.A Raghavan, who arrived in Islamabad last week, made a courtesy call on him at the foreign office on Monday.