Mumtaz Zahra has been appointed as the spokesperson of the Foreign Office.
However, it is important to mention that for a month and a half Pakistan has been without a full-time foreign secretary. The position had fallen vacant after Sohail Mehmood retired in September. Jauhar Saleem, grade 22 officer of the Foreign Service and current special secretary of Europe, was given the additional charge as secretary but so far no appointment could be made.
Mumtaz Zahra is currently serving as additional secretary of Asia and the pacific and will replace Asim Iftikhar who has been appointed as Pakistan’s ambassador to France.
She has served as Director (America), Director (Security Council and Human Rights) and Director (Strategic Planning) in the Office of the Foreign Secretary. During 2014-2015 she served as Director (Academic Programme) and later as Director General of the Foreign Service Academy Islamabad.
Zahra also served as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2020 to 2021, as Minister/Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing from 2015 to 2020, as Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC from 2006 to 2011 and as Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva from 1999 to 2002.
