By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan’s high commissioner to India and senior career diplomat, Abdul Basit has decided to take premature retirement from his post.
According to media reports, Abdul Basit had reservations over appointments of junior officers against senior positions by the government.
He has sent his resignation letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The official sources have confirmed the acceptance of his resignation by Prime Minister.
Abdul Basit was to attain the age of superannuation in April 2018 ..
The sources stated that Basit took this decision after a junior officer was appointed as Secretary Foreign Affairs , ignoring the senior officers.
He is serving as high commissioner in India since 2014 and resides in New Delhi. He has pleaded Pakistan’s case very efficiently during the strained relations between the two nuclear armed South Asian nations. Before this job, he remained Pakistan’s envoy to Germany from 2012 to March 2014.
Abdul Basit holds a masters degree in International Relations and joined Foreign Services in 1982. During his career, he also remained posted in Geneva, Sanaa’, New York, Moscow and London.
