ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the appointment of Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed as the 34th Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. He has also appointed former foreign secretary Amna Baloch as the new Ambassador to Turkiye.
However, no-one has been named yet as the new Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
“I am delighted to announce Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who is currently Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, will be the next foreign secretary,” announced Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on social media.
He said that under Asim Iftikhar Ahmad’s leadership, the Foreign Office will continue to advance Pakistan’s interests with clarity, professionalism and purpose, building on the important work undertaken by Ambassador Amna Baloch and all her predecessors.
Dar took to the social media on Wednesday night to announce the retirement of Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch. “The 33rd Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Ambassador Amna Baloch, after a distinguished career spanning over three decades and her tenure as foreign secretary since September 11, will retire from government service on September 17, 2026.
“I commend her dedicated service and leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during a consequential period in Pakistan’s diplomatic history.”
Earlier, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians, Wednesday saw foreign ministers of Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE uniting to welcome the decision of the Government of the United Kingdom to ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to introduce restrictions on services linked to such settlements. They expressed the hope that this decision will help mobilise the international community to take similar actions in line with international law and hold accountable settlement organisations and individuals engaged in illegal settlement activities.
The ministers underscored that Gaza is an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and called for the full and immediate implementation of President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, to ensure security and stability.
In a joint statement, the ministers also welcomed the Joint Statement on the Two-State Solution issued by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, confirming their intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements that are illegal under international law, or to actively consider these and other measures in accordance with their respective national procedures. “They encourage the international community to build on these steps and adopt concrete measures to bring an end to activities that support or sustain illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” said the joint statement.
Meanwhile, earlier the Foreign Office had also welcomed steps against illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, specifically the decision announced by the UK to impose a ban on items originating from the illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank.
Tuesday night saw Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar speaking with his Egyptian counterpart Dr Badr Abdelatty with the two ministers reviewing bilateral relations and reaffirming the close and fraternal ties between Pakistan and Egypt. “They discussed regional developments and the need for close consultations on regional matters, including through the Regional Four (R4) Foreign Ministers, with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. They also agreed to meet on the sidelines of the forthcoming UNGA in New York,” said the Foreign Ministry.
