PM approves appointment of new ambassadors, foreign secretary

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the appointment of Pakistan’s current ambassador to the European Union Amna Baloch, as the new Foreign Secretary.

According to sources, PM Shehbaz Sharif has also approved the nomination of some new ambassadors for Pakistan.

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As per the new nominations, Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch will be Pakistan’s new ambassador to France, while Janbaz Khan will serve as Pakistan’s new ambassador to Brunei Darussalam.

Sources further said that Muhammad Saleem will be Pakistan’s new High Commissioner to Canada, and Malik Farooq will be the new High Commissioner to South Africa. It is worth mentioning that Malik Farooq is currently serving as Pakistan’s ambassador to Kuwait.

Amna Baloch is Pakistan’s Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg. Before joining as the ambassador, Amna Baloch was serving as the High Commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia.

She has served on various important assignments at the Headquarters and missions abroad during her career including Consul General of Pakistan at Chengdu, China; Minister Counsellor at Colombo, Sri Lanka; Joint Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office and Additional Secretary in the Foreign Minister’s office.

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Ambassador Baloch belongs to Sindh. She received a master’s degree in history and joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1991. Ambassador Baloch is married and has two daughters.

On the other hand, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch is currently serving as Spokesperson and Additional Foreign Secretary (Strategic Communications Division & Public Diplomacy), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. Prior to her current position, she served as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Korea and as Minister/Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in China.

She has also worked as Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC and as Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations, Geneva. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad she served as Additional Foreign Secretary (Asia & Pacific), Director (America), Director (Security Council and Human Rights) and Director (Strategic Planning).

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch has also served as Director (Academic Programme) and later as Acting Director General of the Foreign Service Academy Islamabad.

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Mumtaz Zahra Baloch holds Masters degree in Physics from the Punjab University, Lahore, a Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA and a degree in European Studies and Public Administration from the Ecole Nationale d’ Administration, France. – INP