Pakistan has a new foreign secretary. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar confirmed that Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, currently serving as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, has been chosen to take on the top diplomatic post.
The announcement was made through a post on X, where Dar expressed confidence that Iftikhar would carry forward Pakistan’s foreign policy priorities with the same clarity and professionalism that marked the tenure of his predecessor, Amna Baloch, and those before her.
Outgoing Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch to Retire
Dar noted that Baloch, who holds the distinction of being Pakistan’s 33rd Foreign Secretary, is set to retire from government service on September 17, 2026, closing out a career that spanned more than 30 years.
He praised her contributions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, describing her time in office as one that coincided with a particularly significant period for Pakistan’s foreign relations. According to Dar, Baloch’s departure marks the end of a chapter defined by consistent public service, and he extended his well wishes as she moves on.
Rather than stepping away from diplomacy altogether, Baloch will take up a new assignment as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye once her retirement takes effect. Dar said he was confident she would continue to represent Pakistan effectively in this new capacity. Both appointments, he confirmed, were approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Who Is Asim Iftikhar Ahmad?
The incoming Pakistan new foreign secretary began his career in the Foreign Service back in 1993. Over the past three decades, his postings have taken him across Europe, Africa, Asia, and various UN platforms, giving him a broad footprint within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan’s missions overseas.
Between November 2022 and December 2024, Iftikhar served as Pakistan’s ambassador to France and Monaco, while also acting as the country’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. Before that posting in Paris, he held the role of Foreign Ministry spokesperson from August 2021 to November 2022, during which he simultaneously headed the Asia Pacific Division and later the United Nations & Economic Diplomacy Division as Additional Foreign Secretary.
He also has ambassadorial experience in Thailand, where he served from 2017 to 2021. His very first diplomatic posting came much earlier, in Niamey, Niger, between 1997 and 2000. Along the way, he has also taken on responsibilities within the ministry’s Personnel, Europe, and Africa divisions.
Multilateral diplomacy has been a particular strength of his career. Iftikhar has held senior roles at the UN in both New York and Geneva, and served as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to UNESCAP in Bangkok as well as UNESCO in Paris, where he additionally served as Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Group in the Executive Board and Vice Chair of the General Conference.
While heading the UN Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was responsible for a wide portfolio, ranging from peace and security to climate change and human rights, across Pakistan’s missions in New York, Geneva, Rome, Vienna, Paris, and Nairobi, in addition to coordinating with the UN system operating within Pakistan itself.
His earlier stints in New York, from 2003 to 2009 and again from 2012 to 2014, involved political and security-related work. During these periods, he served as the focal point for Security Council affairs, Security Council reform, General Assembly political matters, the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee, and issues related to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peace-building.
Educational Background and Personal Life
Iftikhar completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, graduating in 1991 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and earning a Gold Medal. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, completed in 1988, where he likewise received a Gold Medal.
Born in Lahore on November 27, 1966, Iftikhar is married to Asma, and the couple has three daughters.
With this appointment, Pakistan’s Foreign Office is set to see a fresh leadership transition, with Iftikhar stepping into the role as Baloch begins her new diplomatic assignment in Ankara.
