After two crisis-ridden years, Pakistan’s UN envoy heads home to take up foreign secretary mantle

UNITED NATIONS: Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad leaves New York this week to take up his new responsibilities as Pakistan’s foreign secretary, ending his two-year assignment as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN). He arrived in New York in October 2024 for his third assignment at the United Nations, as Pakistan prepared to begin a two-year elected term on the UN Security Council (UNSC). It was his third consecutive term as part of Pakistan’s UNSC teams, following assignments in 2003-04 and 2012-13. “It is such a great and singular honour to have the opportunity to…