ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office is never short of surprises, be in the field of foreign policy or in the case of appointments of ambassadors. The abrupt withdrawal of Ishtiaq Hussain Andrabi, the ambassador to Saudi Arabia is a case in point.

His replacement happens to be the FO’s Additional Secretary (Administration) Naeem Khan, who is a close confidant of Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir. Mr Khan has been named the next envoy to Riyadh – one of the country’s plum diplomatic posts.

The last minute cancellation of Mr Andrabi’s appointment was surprising because most of the formalities for his departure for Saudi Arabia had been fulfilled. Not only had Riyadh been requested for consent to the posting, which has now been withdrawn, Mr Andrabi had on March 9 made a farewell call on President Asif Ali Zardari as ambassador designate to Saudi Arabia.

However, in the corridors of the FO, Mr Andrabi’s fall from grace has not surprised anyone. He had been handpicked for the Riyadh posting by former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the face of opposition from within the FO. Ignoring the murmurings within, Mr Qureshi had chosen him for the Saudi assignment because of his ability to speak Arabic and for having previously served in Arab countries.

Yet the sudden and last-minute decision to drop him has been criticised even by those who had object to his appointment. “It (the cancellation of his appointment) shouldn’t have happened at such an advanced stage,” a senior FO official said.

Mr Andrabi is likely to be given the position of additional secretary for Middle East and Africa desk at the Foreign Office.

Officially there wasn’t any comment on the sudden change, but a close aide to the foreign secretary said: “The secretary has enormous respect for Mr Andrabi and believes that he may be more useful in some other position.” The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In another significant appointment, FO Special Secretary Haroon Shaukat has been posted as ambassador to Turkey.

Mr Shaukat was one of those senior officers who had been missed out in the initial posting plan announced in January that had been censured by many for not having been based on merit.

The departure of two senior officers has given birth to furious rumours about their successors. The headquarters’ positions of special secretary and additional secretary (administration) are seen to be particularly important. Sources say the foreign secretary hasn’t made up his mind on his choice for these two offices.

Meanwhile, Dawn has learnt that the position of head of territorial desk for Americas, which has been lying vacant for several months now, is likely to be filled by Alamgir Babar who till recently was posted as envoy to Brazil. The post of additional secretary (Americas) had fallen vacant after Attiya Mehmood was sent to Jordan as ambassador last year.