Pakistan’s India envoy-designate Moin ul Haque set for ambassador duty in China

New Delhi: Senior Pakistani diplomat Moin ul Haque, who was slated for a stint as high commissioner to India, is now going to be Islamabad’s ambassador to China, top diplomatic sources have told ThePrint.

The Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan to India and charge d’affaires Syed Haidar Shah, who has been Islamabad’s acting high commissioner in New Delhi, is also set for appointment as the nation’s ambassador to Nepal soon, the sources said. 

According to the sources, Shah is expected to be succeeded by Aftab Hasan Khan, who is now posted in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as minister (political).

These diplomatic appointments are yet to be announced officially. They come as India and Pakistan are set to mark nearly a year without high commissioners for each other.

Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan were unilaterally downgraded by Islamabad on 7 August after the Narendra Modi government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories. 

India’s then high commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, was subsequently asked by Islamabad to return to India mid-tenure. Bisaria is now posted in Canada.

Appointment put on hold

Haque was designated as Pakistan’s high commissioner to India in May last year, but the appointment was put on hold on account of the tensions.

Haque is currently Islamabad’s envoy to France. 

Having served in the United Nations and commanding significant knowledge of the South Asian region, Haque is regarded as a veteran diplomat. He has never served in any diplomatic position in India, but has had stints in Bangladesh as well as Sri Lanka.

Since August last year, Shah has been serving as Islamabad’s acting high commissioner to India.