ISLAMABAD: Former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and a career diplomat, Shaharyar Khan, died on Saturday at the age of 89, the PCB confirmed in a condolence message.
Khan was a well-known Pakistani diplomat who became Foreign Secretary of Pakistan in 1990, and remained so until his retirement from the service in 1994. He later served as United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Rwanda from 1994–1996, a time about which he wrote the book The Shallow Graves of Rwanda.
Khan served as PCB chairman for two terms, from December 2003 to October 2006, and from August 2014 to August 2017. Khan also worked as team manager of the Pakistan National Men’s team during the 1999 tour of India and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. He served as the president of the Asian Cricket Council in 2016.
“The PCB pays heartfelt condolences to Shaharyar Khan’s family on his sad demise and wishes to always remember him as one of the vital characters in bringing cricket back to Pakistan during the last decade,” the PCB said in a statement.
Quoting PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Naqvi, the press released added:
“He was a fine administrator and served Pakistan Cricket with utmost dedication. Pakistan Cricket will stay indebted to the late Shaharyar Khan for his commendable role as head of the board and for his services in the growth and development of the game in the country.”
Khan was born on March 29, 1934 in the Qasr-e-Sultani Palace (now Saifia College), in Bhopal State in British India. He was the only son and male heir of both Nawab Muhammad Sarwar Ali Khan, the ruler of the former princely state of Kurwai and Princess Begum Abida Sultan, the Crown Princess and the eldest daughter of the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal, Hajji-Hafiz Sir Muhammad Nawab Hamidullah Khan.
Khan is descended from the royal family of former princely state of Bhopal where his ancestors had emigrated during the first quarter of the eighteenth century from Afghanistan.
During his vast career as a diplomat, Khan served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Jordan, the UK and France, among other postings, and was Chairman, Committee on Foreign Service Reforms, Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1997–1999). He also taught courses on Pakistan’s Foreign Relations at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
Among his notable publications are the books on Rwanda, the Begums of Bhopal, a history of the princely state of Bhopal and Cricket – a Bridge of Peace, about India-Pakistan relations. His most personal book was the biography of his mother Princess Abida Sultaan – Memoirs of a Rebel Princess. With his son Ali Khan, a LUMS professor, he wrote Cricket Cauldron: The Turbulent Politics of Sport in Pakistan and co-authored a book titled Shadows Across the Playing Field: 60 Years of India-Pakistan Cricket with renowned Indian writer and politician Shashi Tharoor.
Former PCB chairman and career diplomat Shaharyar Khan passes away
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Former PCB chairman and career diplomat Shaharyar Khan passes away
- Khan served as PCB chairman for two terms, from December 2003 to October 2006 and from August 2014 to August 2017
- Khan was a celebrated diplomat who became Foreign Secretary in 1990 and remained so until his retirement in 1994
Pakistan president meets UAE counterpart, explores trade, investment opportunities
- Asif Ali Zardari is in UAE on four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties, review bilateral cooperation
- Both sides discuss regional, international developments, reaffirm commitment to promote peace
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during which both sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and other sectors, Zardari's office said.
Zardari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening with a high-level delegation on a four-day official visit to the UAE to review trade, economic and security cooperation.
"The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE," a statement from Zardari's office said about his meeting with the UAE president.
"They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership.
Zardari highlighted the significance of Al-Nayhan's visit to Pakistan last month, the statement said, expressing appreciation for the UAE's continued support for strengthening bilateral ties.
It said both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani president's son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE.
ZARDARI MEETS AD PORTS CEO
Zardari earlier met AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi to discuss the group's investment initiatives in Karachi.
"Both sides agreed that the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and country’s seaborne trade," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.
It added that Zardari described the AD Ports Group's long-term investment and expanding role in Pakistan's maritime and logistics sector as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.
Beyond trade and labor ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily expanded defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration in counter-terrorism and regional security matters.
