ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani diplomat, Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi, has taken on the role of Pakistan’s 32nd foreign secretary, succeeding Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, who retired after his tenure marked by a notable diplomatic cable controversy during his time as the country’s envoy in Washington.

As Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Khan was famously contacted by Donald Lu, the assistant secretary of state for South Asia, who criticized former prime minister Imran Khan’s visit to Moscow at the time of Russian invasion of Ukraine and questioned Islamabad’s neutral posture in the conflict.

The American official allegedly threatened Pakistan of diplomatic turbulence, if the ex-premier dodged an impending no-confidence vote and continued to stay in the office.

The Pakistani envoy to Washington mentioned the details of his conversation with the American official in a diplomatic cable, called cipher, which was later used by Khan as evidence that his administration was brought down as a result of an international conspiracy against him.

“Today marks a significant transition in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Ambassador Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi assumes the role of 32nd Foreign Secretary of Pakistan succeeding Ambassador Dr. Asad Majeed Khan,” the foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during her weekly news briefing in Islamabad.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Asad Majeed Khan for his dedicated service and steadfast commitment to diplomacy,” she added. “Under his leadership, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs navigated complex global challenges and worked to strengthen Pakistan’s international partnerships. He will also be remembered for his efforts for capacity building of the Foreign Service of Pakistan which will bear long-lasting fruits for the Service and for the nation.”

Baloch said the ministry celebrated the former foreign secretary’s many accomplishments, thanking him for his services to the country and wishing him success in his future endeavors.

The country’s new foreign secretary also brings with him extensive experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, having served at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Geneva, from 1995 to 1999.

Qazi also remained Pakistan’s Ambassador to Hungary from 2015 to 2017 and to Türkiye from 2017 to 2022.