ISLAMABAD, Oct 01 (DNA): Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi
has congratulated Dr Maleeha Lodhi for the completion of her tenure as
Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN).

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Qureshi said, “On the completion of her
tenure as Pakistan’s Ambassador to UN, I would like to extend my
gratitude to Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi.”

The foreign minister said that Lodhi served the country with dignity,
diligence and honour. He also wished her the very best for her future.

Lodhi, replied to the minister’s tweet, by saying that it was an honour
to serve Pakistan and that she will continue to do so.

Munir Akram would replace Dr Maleeha Lodhi as Pakistan’s permanent
representative to the United Nations, the foreign ministry said Monday
in a statement.

Akram, who has previously served at the same post from 2002 to 2008,
would be stationed at the UN’s New York headquarters. He specialises in
multilateral diplomacy with considerable experience over the years at
the UN’s New York and Geneva chapters.

Akram studied at Karachi University and graduated with a Masters degree
in Political Science and a Bachelors in Law. He has ably defended and
protected Pakistan’s vital interests and continues to play a leading
role on other important issues on the UN’s regular and reform agenda.

The development comes merely a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan
returned from the United States, where he addressed the UN General
Assembly’s (UNGA) 74th session — termed successful and historic, and
fought Kashmir’s case.

Lodhi also tweeted on her personal Twitter account about her plan to
‘move on’ after the United Nations General Assembly session, expressing
gratitude over her tenure as the UN envoy from the country.

In another Twitter post, she said that she is humbled by the
appreciation she received following the prime minister’s visit, wishing
luck to her successor Akram.

In its statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced that
PM Imran also made other new appointments apart of that of Ambassador
Akram’s.

The MoFA’s current director-general for the UN, Khalil Ahmad Hashmi, was
appointed as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva.

Three new ambassadors were also appointed. Muhammad Aejaz was promoted
from MoFA’s Additional Secretary (AIT) to Pakistan’s Ambassador to
Hungary, Syed Sajjad Haider was promoted from Pakistan’s Charge d’
Affaires for Pyongyang to Ambassador to Kuwait, and Ahsan K.K. Wagan was
promoted from Pakistan’s Charge d’ Affaires for Niamey, Niger to
Ambassador to Muscat, Oman.

Pakistan’s consul general in Toronto, Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, was posted
as the country’s High Commissioner in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

On the other hand, three new appointments were also made.