Asim Iftikhar Ahmad Appointed Pakistan’s 34th Foreign Secretary

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has appointed veteran diplomat Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad as the country’s new Foreign Secretary, entrusting one of its most experienced career diplomats with leading the Foreign Office at a challenging time for Pakistan’s external relations.

The appointment was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on September 9 following approval by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Asim Iftikhar will succeed Ambassador Amna Baloch, who is due to retire from government service on September 17.

He will become Pakistan’s 34th Foreign Secretary. Ishaq Dar expressed confidence that under his leadership, the Foreign Office would continue to advance Pakistan’s interests with clarity, professionalism and purpose.

The appointment comes amid a complex international environment marked by regional conflicts, evolving great-power competition, tensions in South Asia and the Middle East, developments in Afghanistan and the growing importance of economic and multilateral diplomacy.

Born in Lahore on November 27, 1966, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1993. Over more than three decades, he has served in senior positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistani diplomatic missions across Africa, Europe and Asia, as well as at the United Nations.

He has developed extensive expertise in multilateral diplomacy, international organisations, conflict prevention, peacekeeping and global security.

Asim Iftikhar earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Punjab in 1988 and a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, in 1991. He received a Gold Medal from both institutions.

He subsequently attended the Civil Services Academy and Foreign Service Academy, where he was recognised as Best Sportsman and Best Probationer respectively.

His first overseas diplomatic assignment was at Pakistan’s Embassy in Niamey, Niger, where he served from 1997 to 2000.

He also worked in several divisions of the Foreign Office, including Europe, Africa and Personnel, before taking on increasingly specialised responsibilities related to the United Nations and international security affairs.

A defining feature of Asim Iftikhar’s career has been his long association with the United Nations.

He served at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York from 2003 to 2009 and again from 2012 to 2014. During his second stint, he served as Minister and Political Coordinator of Pakistan’s UN Security Council team.

He was also a member of Pakistan’s delegations to the Security Council during the country’s terms in 2003-04 and 2012-13.

His responsibilities included Security Council affairs, political and security issues, UN reform, conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peace-building.

He represented Pakistan in several Security Council missions concerning West Africa, Somalia, Sudan and the Great Lakes region. His multilateral experience also included the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Human Rights Council and various treaty-review mechanisms.

He has participated in UN General Assembly sessions and major international forums, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, African Union, Non-Aligned Movement, ASEAN Regional Forum and Asia-Europe Meeting.

In 2009-10, Asim Iftikhar served as Deputy Chef de Cabinet to the President of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The assignment provided him with extensive exposure to high-level multilateral diplomacy and the complex process of building consensus among states on politically sensitive international issues.

Senior Roles at Foreign Office

From 2014 to 2017, he served as Director General for United Nations Affairs, overseeing UN-related work involving Pakistan’s missions in New York, Geneva, Rome, Vienna and Nairobi.

He later served as Additional Secretary for Asia Pacific and Additional Secretary for UN and Economic Diplomacy.

Between August 2021 and November 2022, he also served as spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Asim Iftikhar served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Thailand from 2017 to 2021 and also represented Pakistan at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

He was subsequently appointed Ambassador to France and Monaco and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, serving from November 2022 until December 2024.

During his tenure at UNESCO, he also held leadership responsibilities within the Asia-Pacific grouping.

In April 2025, Asim Iftikhar assumed charge as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, succeeding Ambassador Munir Akram.

During Pakistan’s tenure on the UN Security Council, he played a prominent role in representing Pakistan on major international security issues and served as President of the Security Council in July 2025.

His extensive UN experience has included engagement on issues such as non-proliferation, the Middle East, Ukraine and other international security matters.

As Foreign Secretary, Asim Iftikhar will be responsible for steering Pakistan’s diplomatic machinery at a consequential time for the country’s foreign policy.

His responsibilities will include managing relations with major powers, neighbouring countries and strategic partners, while maintaining sustained engagement with the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.

He will also have to navigate Pakistan’s relations with China, the United States, Gulf states, Iran, Afghanistan and India, while supporting economic diplomacy and strengthening international partnerships.

His extensive multilateral experience is expected to be particularly relevant as Pakistan seeks a stronger voice on global conflicts, reform of international institutions, peace and security, development, climate challenges and the evolving international order.

With his appointment as Pakistan’s 34th Foreign Secretary, Asim Iftikhar brings to the Foreign Office a rare combination of experience in bilateral diplomacy, multilateral negotiations, UN affairs, policy formulation and public diplomacy.

The key challenge ahead will be to translate that experience into a coherent and forward-looking foreign policy that safeguards Pakistan’s strategic interests while expanding its diplomatic and economic partnerships in an increasingly complex international environment.