Tehmina Janjua is new foreign secretary of Pakistan

Tehmina Janjua will replace Aizaz Chaudhary who was appointed as the new Ambassador to Washington.

Islamabad, Feb 13: Pakistan on Monday appointed Tehmina Janjua as foreign secretary -- the first woman in the country to take up the top diplomat's post.

She will replace Aizaz Chaudhary who was appointed as the new ambassador to Washington.

Janjua, presently serving as ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, will assume the new post in the first week of March 2017, a Foreign Office statement said.

She will be the 29th foreign secretary. Janjua, a seasoned diplomat with a career spanning over 32 years, holds a Master's degree from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and Columbia University, New York.

She also served as spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs during 2011. Janjua served as ambassador of Pakistan to Italy from December 2011 to October 2015. Her appointment belies media reports that Abdul Basit, envoy to India, was to be the top diplomat.

IANS