Salman Bashir new Pak envoy to India
Pakistan on Saturday announced that its former foreign secretary Salman Bashir will replace Shahid Malik as the new High Commissioner to India.
The 60-year-old Bashir was Pakistan’s foreign secretary for almost four years, from April 2008 to March 2012. He also served as Ambassador to Denmark, Lithuania, China and Mongolia.
During his stint in Beijing, he had developed a rapport with Indian ambassador in China Nirupama Rao. That came handy when Rao and Bashir became foreign secretaries and to resume the dialogue process between the two countries, which was stalled after the Mumbai terror attacks.
During his visit to India in 2010, Bashir’s infamous remark, that the Indian government’s dossier on Hafiz Saeed was a “piece of literature”, had not gone down well with New Delhi. However, he exercised restraint in July 2011 when Rao had talked about infiltration in J&K.
Bashir also served at Pakistan’s Mission to the United Nations in Geneva as well as at the OIC in Jeddah. He also held important positions at the Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as Additional Secretary for Asia Pacific.
Bashir did his masters in history and LLB before joining the foreign service of Pakistan in February 1976. He then served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a section officer from 1976 to 1980), as director from 1985 to 1987, director general between 1995 and 1999 and as additional foreign secretary between 2003 and 2005.
Bashir is married and has two sons and a daughter. His brother Admiral Noman Bashir is the former chief of staff of the Pakistan Navy.
The 60-year-old Bashir was Pakistan’s foreign secretary for almost four years, from April 2008 to March 2012. He also served as Ambassador to Denmark, Lithuania, China and Mongolia.
During his stint in Beijing, he had developed a rapport with Indian ambassador in China Nirupama Rao. That came handy when Rao and Bashir became foreign secretaries and to resume the dialogue process between the two countries, which was stalled after the Mumbai terror attacks.
During his visit to India in 2010, Bashir’s infamous remark, that the Indian government’s dossier on Hafiz Saeed was a “piece of literature”, had not gone down well with New Delhi. However, he exercised restraint in July 2011 when Rao had talked about infiltration in J&K.
Bashir also served at Pakistan’s Mission to the United Nations in Geneva as well as at the OIC in Jeddah. He also held important positions at the Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including as Additional Secretary for Asia Pacific.
Bashir did his masters in history and LLB before joining the foreign service of Pakistan in February 1976. He then served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a section officer from 1976 to 1980), as director from 1985 to 1987, director general between 1995 and 1999 and as additional foreign secretary between 2003 and 2005.
Bashir is married and has two sons and a daughter. His brother Admiral Noman Bashir is the former chief of staff of the Pakistan Navy.
Comments
Post a Comment