In a major reorganization at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the appointment of Ambassador Munir Akram as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday.
Akram will replace Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, who has been in charge of Pakistan's envoy to the UN since February 2015.
Akram also served as permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, holding the position for six years between 2002 and 2008.
Read opinion piece of Munir Akram: PM on the world stage
The sudden announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Imran and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi returned to Pakistan after concluding their visit to the United States to attend the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.
During his visit of the "Kashmir Mission" to New York, the Prime Minister addressed the UNGA of 193 members, attended the UN summit meetings, met with several world leaders outside the session, including the President of the United States, Donald Trump, addressed groups of experts and interacted with international media Ambassador Lodhi accompanied the prime minister in several of these commitments.
The government did not provide a reason for Dr. Lodhi's replacement. No other portfolio has been assigned so far.
After the announcement, Lodhi turned to Twitter to say that she is grateful to have had the opportunity to represent the country for more than four years.
"Representing Pakistan in the world's most important multilateral forum was a great privilege," he wrote, adding that "he had planned to move forward after the UNGA after a successful visit by the Prime Minister."
"I am honored by the gratitude I received for the visit of the Prime Minister and the support I also received over the years. I wish my successor Munir Akram the best of luck!" she said in a later tweet.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed his gratitude to Amb Lodhi in a tweet on Saturday morning, noting that she served the country with dignity, diligence and honor.
Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari also praised Lodhi's services, saying that she "had served Pakistan's cause stellarly."
Who is Munir Akram?
Munir Akram, 74, specializes in multilateral diplomacy and has extensive experience in the UN chapters in New York and Geneva, according to his profile in Pakistan's mission to the UN website.
Akram, who joined Pakistan's Foreign Service in 1967, earned a master's degree in political science and a law degree from the University of Karachi.
In addition to holding various positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he also served in the Pakistani missions in several world capitals, including Brussels and Tokyo, and as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN in Geneva.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution and performance par excellence in the field of diplomacy and foreign policy, the President of Pakistan awarded him the Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam award.
He also regularly writes a newspaper column Dawn.
Who is Maleeha Lodhi?
Before being appointed Pakistani ambassador to the UN by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the journalist turned diplomat, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, served twice as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States (1993-1996 and 1999-2002) and as High Commissioner of Pakistan in the United States. Kingdom (2003-2008).
He also served as a member of the Advisory Board of the United Nations Secretary General on Disarmament Affairs (2001-2005).
She has taught at the London School of Economics and Political Science, has been a fellow at the Harvard University Policy Institute, as well as an international academic at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DC.
Dr. Lodhi has also continued to be editor of the main English newspapers in the country.
He received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz presidential award for public service.
Other publications
Among other changes approved by Prime Minister Khalil Ahmad Hashmi, who currently serves as the Director General (UN) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been appointed Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN in Geneva.
Muhammad Aejaz, the Additional Secretary (AIT) at MoFA, has been appointed as Pakistan's ambassador to Hungary.
The Charge d'affaires of Pakistan to Pyongyang, Syed Sajjad Haider, has now been published as the new ambassador to Kuwait.
Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, who currently serves as the consul general of Pakistan in Toronto, Canada, has been appointed as the high commissioner of Pakistan in Bangladesh. It will be replaced by Abdul Hamid.
The new envoy from Pakistan to Muscat, Oman, will be Ahsan K.K. Wagan, who currently holds the position of Charge of Affairs in Niamey, Niger.
According to the FO statement, retired Major General Muhammad Saad Khattak has been appointed High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Abrar Hussain Hashmi has been appointed to serve as Pakistani Consul General in Houston, Texas, USA. UU.
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1508203/in-major-reshuffle-munir-akram-to-replace-maleeha-lodhi-as-pakistans-envoy-to-un