Islamabad, June 28, 2024, The Europe Today: The government has decided to appoint Rizwan Saeed, currently serving as the additional foreign secretary for the Middle East, as Pakistan’s new ambassador to the United States. This was announced by Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Friday. Saeed will replace Masood Khan, who has been serving as ambassador since February 2022. Khan was nominated for the position by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in November 2021.
In another significant diplomatic move, Baloch announced that Pakistan has appointed Asim Iftikhar, presently the ambassador to France, as its additional permanent representative to the United Nations. Iftikhar is expected to assume the role of permanent representative at an appropriate time, succeeding Munir Akram, who has held the position since November 1, 2019.
The spokesperson clarified that these appointments had been under consideration for several weeks and that the announcement was a routine procedure.
Response to US House of Representatives Resolution
Addressing the recent resolution by the US House of Representatives, Baloch expressed regret over the development, emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining relations with the United States based on mutual respect and non-interference. She urged the US Congress to focus on strengthening Pakistan-US relations and noted that Pakistan had communicated its serious reservations regarding the resolution to the United States.
“The resolution by the US House of Representatives is an unwarranted interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs,” Baloch stated.
These diplomatic shifts and responses underscore Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to manage its international relationships and assert its sovereignty in the face of external pressures.
