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A written reply submitted by Ishaq Dar to the Pakistani Senate revealed that nine retired military officers are among the country’s 17 non-career envoys.
Dar disclosed in the Pakistani Senate that 17 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners have been appointed to foreign missions. File pic/AFP
Pakistan’s diplomatic recruitment practices have come under scrutiny after Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar disclosed in the Senate that 17 non-career ambassadors and high commissioners, including nine retired senior military officers, have been appointed to foreign missions.
The disclosure has raised questions about merit, professional diplomatic experience and the influence of Pakistan’s military establishment in appointments traditionally associated with career diplomats.
The details emerged in a written response to Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, who sought the names, experience and places of domicile of non-career diplomats posted abroad, along with the procedure followed for their appointments.
Nine Retired Military Officers Among 17 Appointees
According to official documents accessed by CNN-News18the list includes retired army generals, an air marshal and a vice admiral assigned to diplomatic missions across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.
The retired military officers named in the Senate reply are:
- Major General (Retd) Kamran Tabrez Savera – High Commissioner-designate, Abuja, Nigeria.
- Major General (Retd) Khurram Sarfraz Khan – Amman, Jordan.
- Major General (Retd) Nayyar Naseer – Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- Air Marshal (Retd) Muhammad Mughes Afzal – Damascus, Syria.
- Lieutenant General (Retd) Muhammad Aamer – Doha, Qatar.
- Major General (Retd) Kanwar Adnan Ahmad Khan – Kyiv, Ukraine.
- Vice Admiral (Retd) Faisal Rasul Lodhi – Male, Maldives.
- Major General (Retd) Muhammad Irfan – Ambassador-designate, Sarajevo, Bosnia.
- Major General (Retd) Mumtaz Hussain – Ambassador-designate, Tripoli, Libya.
Who Are The Other Non-Career Diplomats?
The Senate reply also identifies eight individuals from outside the regular foreign service who have been appointed or designated to diplomatic missions.
They are Dr Yousaf Junaid in Ankara, Turkey; Dr Faryal Leghari in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; Kohdayar Marri in Hanoi, Vietnam; Muhammad Irfan Tarar, Ambassador-designate to Niamey, Niger; Zaheeruddin Babar Thaheem in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Aqil Gillani in Rabat, Morocco; Dr Najeeb Samie, Ambassador-designate to Tunis, Tunisia; and Muhammad Sami-ur-Rehman in Warsaw, Poland.
Merit Or Political Patronage? Questions Over Appointments
The disclosure has placed Pakistan’s selection of non-career diplomats under the spotlight, particularly the preference for retired military officers in several overseas missions.
Although appointing individuals from outside the foreign service is not uncommon internationally, such selections raise questions about the criteria used to assess candidates and the opportunities available to career diplomats.
In Pakistan’s case, the appointment of former senior military officers also draws attention to the military establishment’s influence beyond defence and security affairs, extending into the country’s diplomatic representation.
About the Author
Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18
October 21, 2026, 12:53 IST
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