Pak High Commissioner-designate Bashir arrives in Delhi

Sixty-year-old Bashir, a former foreign secretary, succeeds Shahid Malik as Pakistan's envoy in New Delhi at a time when there is renewed effort on both sides to carry forward the dialogue process.

Bashir was received at the airport by a representative of the Ministry of External Affairs, Deputy High Commissioner Babar Amin, a Pakistan High Commission statement said.

He takes up the new assignment a few weeks before the foreign secretaries of the two countries meet in New Delhi to discuss a whole range of issues and prepare the ground for the meeting of the foreign ministers in Islamabad later in July.

Bashir joined Foreign Service of Pakistan in February 1976 and superannuated as Foreign Secretary in March. He has also served as Pakistan's envoy to China and Mongolia (2005-08), Denmark and Lithuania (1999-2003).

Bashir has been part of the Indo-Pak dialogue process following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He had accompanied Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on day-long private visit to India on April 8.