Sohail Mahmood to be Pakistan s new envoy (Lead)

Islamabad May 8 (IANS) Career diplomat Sohail Mahmood will be Pakistan s new High Commissioner to India and is set to take charge at the end of this month Foreign Office sources said.

Mahmood now Pakistan s Ambassador to Turkey will succeed Abdul Basit. The sourcea said the Indian High Commission in Islamabad issued visa to Mahmood on Friday. Mahmood who has served in Pakistani missions in Washington New York Ankara and Bangkok is 55 years old and holds a Masters degrees in History and International Relations. He joined the Foreign Service in 1985 and is one of the senior most officers of the Pakistan Foreign Service. He is not known to have dealt with India in the Foreign Office earlier. Mahmood will take charge at a time when India-Pakistan ties are at a new low following the mutilation of two Indian soldiers blamed on the Pakistan Army and the death penalty to India spy Kulbhushan Jadhav. Basit who had a turbulent tenure in New Delhi was appointed Pakistan s envoy to India in 2014. He suffered a major disappointment earlier this year when Tehmina Janjua a junior in foreign service was named Pakistan s Foreign Secretary. --IANS ahm/mr