Salman Bashir new Pak envoy to India

Pakistan's former Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, who has been part of the post-26/11 Indo-Pak dialogue process, is the country's new high commissioner to India.

60-year-old Bashir has been appointed as the new envoy to India in place of Shahid Malik, Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Ahmed Khan announced on Saturday.

Bashir had served as foreign secretary from 2008 to March this year, when Jalil Abbas Jillani took over from him.

The former Pakistan foreign secretary has been part of the Indo-Pak dialogue process following the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

He also served as the ambassador to Denmark, Lithuania, China and Mongolia and did a stint at Pakistan's mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

Bashir had travelled to New Delhi when President Asif Ali Zardari made a day-long private visit to India on April 8.

During the visit, Zardari had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over lunch and offered prayers at the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer.

Image: Salman Bashir, Pakistan's newly appointed envoy to India

Photograph: Reuters