Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to appoint Tehmina Janjua as the new foreign secretary in February. If appointed, she will be the country’s first woman to hold the post.
On seniority basis, Masroor A. Junejo should replace Aizaz Chaudhry as the foreign secretary, but his chances are bleak, reports the Daily Times.
The post will fall vacant after Mr Chaudhry will move to the US as ambassador next month. Envoy to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani’s term expires in February. In the seniority list of foreign service of Pakistan, Masroor Junejo is the senior most.
He is followed by high commissioner to India Abdul Basit, high commissioner to the UK Syed Ibn-e-Abbas and former envoy to France Ghalib Iqbal.
According to sources, till now, Janjua has been tipped and considered favourite for the foreign secretary’s slot. She has been the permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nation’s Geneva office since October 6, 2015.
Ms Janjua joined foreign service of Pakistan in 1984. She studied french literature at the Quaid-e-Azam University and received a masters in international affairs from Columbia University in 1989.
She served in Pakistan’s missions to New York City and United Nations before serving as the director of foreign secretary’s office between 2004 and 2005.
She served as the director general of strategic planning in the foreign secretary’s office and in 2011 became spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs of Pakistan.
She served as the ambassador of Pakistan to Italy between December 2011 and October 2015.
On October 6, 2015, Ms Janjua became Pakistan’s envoy to the UN office in Geneva. In December 2016, Janjua, became the first woman and the first developing country representative to preside over the convention on certain conventional weapons.
The government is not considering Mr Basit as he is more close to the military establishment. The government is facing criticism from the opposition and retired diplomats for not appointing a full-time foreign minister.
Currently, the foreign office is being run by adviser to PM on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz and special assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.
