New Delhi, India

Geetika Srivastava, a 2005 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, will assume the role of India's charge d'affaires at its High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan. This appointment marks the first time a female diplomat will lead India's representation in Pakistan. Srivastava's appointment is followed by the tenure of Suresh Kumar, who will be returning to New Delhi soon, media reports said.

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Prior to her new assignment, Srivastava served as a joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)'s Indo-Pacific division. With an accomplished career, she also brings experience from her posting at the Indian Embassy in Beijing, China from 2007 to 2009, as well as her role as the director of the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Kolkata.

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Challenging role

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Srivastava's assignment comes at a challenging time, as the diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have been strained due to various factors, including terrorism breeding from Pakistani soil. 

After India decided to abrogate Article 370, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, in August 2019, Islamabad downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi.

Now, the high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi are led by respective charge d'affaires. 

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Historically, India has always been represented by male diplomats in its missions, and this appointment is the first in Indian diplomacy.

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Recent developments

Pakistan also appointed Saad Ahmad Warraich as its new charge d'affaires in New Delhi.

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Warraich, who previously served in Pakistan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, succeeded Salman Sharif, who left India in July.

The Indian position on Pakistan’s role in spreading and nurturing international terror groups has long remained clear and constant. New Delhi has repeatedly raised the issue of Pakistan's continued support of cross-border terrorism in bilateral, regional, and multilateral forums, and has shared credible inputs regarding the Pakistani origins of the captured terrorists.

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