Prime Minister approves appointment of two new ambassadors

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved the appointment of two new ambassadors, according to sources. The decision was made on the recommendation of Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, who is currently posted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been appointed as the new ambassador to Russia.

Also read: Shafqat Ali Khan appointed new Foreign Office spokesperson

Shafqat Ali Khan has been appointed as Pakistan’s new ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in his stead. Currently, Khan serves as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). He had been appointed in January this year. His predecessor, Mumtaz Zehra Baloch, is currently Ambassador to France.

PAKISTAN’S KABUL ENVOY ELEVATED TO AMBASSADOR

Prior to these appointments, in May 2025, FM Ishaq Dar had announced that Pakistan has elevated its diplomatic representation in Afghanistan to the level of ambassador, amid growing high-level interactions and improving bilateral ties in recent months.

“Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on a positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with the Pakistan delegation on April 19, 2025. To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the Government of Pakistan’s decision to upgrade the level of its Chargé d’Affaires in Kabul to Ambassador,” Dar wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Also read: Pakistan elevates Kabul envoy to ambassador amid signs of improved ties

The Afghan interim government installed its envoy at the Afghan embassy in Islamabad in October 2021, and Pakistan was the first country to hand over the mission to the Taliban.

With this decision, Charge d’Affaires Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani formally became Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan.