Pakistan’s High Commissioner To India Seeks Early Retirement

Pakistani envoy to India Abdul Basit has sought an early retirement, and his request has been accepted by the country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as per Pakistani media sources.

It is widely speculated that Basit was unhappy over the appointment of the current foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua, a junior to Basit.

Basit, who was set to retire from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2018, had "submitted an application to Prime Minister Sharif for his early retirement which was accepted," Geo News reported, citing sources. The senior Pakistani diplomat has already completed his three-year tenure in New Delhi.

Basit would be succeeded by Sohail Mahmood who is expected to take up his responsibilities as the High Commissioner to India starting this August. Mahmood, 55, currently Pakistan's ambassador to Turkey, is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Service in 1985.

Basit joined the Foreign Service in 1982 and held several diplomatic assignments at Pakistani missions abroad. Prior to his appointment as the High Commissioner to India in 2014, Basit had served as Pakistan's Ambassador to Germany from May 2012 till March 2014.

In his three year stint at New Delhi, Basit has been surrounded by many controversies. Basit with his pro separatist comments, always showed Islamabad’s inclination towards the freedom movement in Kashmir.

In August 2014, India called off talks between the foreign secretaries after Basit met Kashmiri separatist leaders. His remarks on various issues have also angered the external affairs ministry of India on many occasions.

Earlier this year Basit stroked a fresh controversy by reiterating Islamabad’s support to what he called the ongoing “freedom struggle” in Kashmir.

“Kashmir is the fundamental dispute between India and Pakistan. We’ll solve this issue in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” Abdul Basit said while addressing a gathering inside Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi in March.

“History is witness to the fact that ‘freedom struggles’ can be suppressed only for the time being but they can’t be eliminated forever. We believe that the people of Kashmir will succeed in their struggle,” he added.

Basit had always been very pro separatist in his remarks. He sparked a controversy in his address in 2014 on the occasion of Pakistan’s Independence Day.

He said "Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom; sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain."

"Is saal ki Jashn-e-Azadi hum Kashmir ki Azadi ke naam karte hain (We dedicate this year's Independence Day to struggle of Kashmir)."