The Foreign Office has appointed veteran diplomat Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri as its new spokesperson, as per a notification issued on Wednesday evening.
He shall replace Aisha Farooqui who was serving on the post since December 2019. Chaudhri is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP) cadre in 1993 with almost three decades of experience at the headquarters and Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad. His expertise includes dealing on matters pertaining to the United States, Afghanistan, South Asia and National Security.
His previous postings abroad include those at the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC, and the High Commission for Pakistan, London where he served as Deputy High Commissioner. He has also held important assignments at the headquarters, including Director General (Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey) in which capacity he dealt with the complex Afghan Peace Process.
Moreover, he has also previously served as Joint Secretary for National Security at the National Security Division and Director General at the President’s Secretariat. Chaudhri shall continue to serve as Director General (South Asia & SAARC) in addition to his task as Foreign Office Spokesperson. Chaudhri’s academic credentials include a Master’s degree in International Law from the University of London and a second Master’s in Business Administration. He is also an alumnus of the National Defence University, Washington DC.
