Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United States of America | |
---|---|
Style | His Excellency |
Residence | Washington, D.C. |
Nominator | Prime Minister of Pakistan |
Formation | 1948 |
Website | Pakistan Embassy – Washington, D.C. |
Pakistan Ambassador to the United States is in charge of the Pakistan Embassy, Washington, D.C., Pakistan's diplomatic mission to the United States. The official title is Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United States of America.
H.E. Jalil Abbas Jilani is the current ambassador to the United States. A career diplomat, he assumed his office in December 2013. Previously he was serving as the Foreign Secretary.
History
The embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. was built in 28 August 1947, when Pakistan attained independence from Great Britain and separated from India to form the Dominion of Pakistan. From the onset, Pakistan adopted a pro-American policy, with relations taking an upturn in 1954 when Pakistan signed the defense pacts with the United States, first the SEATO and then CENTO in 1955. The relations were soured because of subsequent Indo-Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971, but again blossomed due to the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the ensuing covert war of 1980–88. The alleged nuclear program of the country led the US to impose sanctions on Pakistan and the relations deteriorated, but the War on Terrorism again placed Pakistan in the good books of America, and the relations improved.
Therefore, the Pakistani ambassadors to the US were not only the top-notch officers of Pakistan Civil Services, but also political appointees of respective governments of the time. Some of these ambassadors later rose to the posts of Foreign Minister of Pakistan and Finance Minister of Pakistan, while one of them, Muhammad Ali Bogra, became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
The last ambassador was Sherry Rehman (resigned May 2013), who took charge as the 21st ambassador to Pakistan on 23 November 2011, succeeding Husain Haqqani, who was removed from office following Pakistan's memogate scandal. Two ambassadors who were sent to the United States but recalled without their having presented their credentials were Akram Zaki and Tariq Fatemi, both foreign service men.[1]
List of Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
Name and Title | Image | Entered Office | Left Office |
---|---|---|---|
M.A.H. Ispahani | 8 October 1948 | 8 February 1952 | |
Muhammad Ali Bogra | 27 February 1952 | 16 April 1953 | |
Syed Amjad Ali | 26 September 1953 | 17 September 1955 | |
Muhammad Ali Bogra | November 1955 | March 1959 | |
Aziz Ahmed | 23 March 1959 | July 1963 | |
Ghulam Ahmed | 19 July 1963 | 15 September 1966 | |
Agha Hilaly | 21 October 1966 | 20 October 1971 | |
Maj Gen (R) N.A.M. Raza | 22 October 1971 | 22 April 1972 | |
Sultan Muhammad Khan | 15 May 1972 | 8 December 1973 | |
Lt Gen (R) Sahabzada Yaqub Khan | 19 December 1973 | 3 January 1979 | |
Sultan Muhammad Khan | 13 January 1979 | 31 December 1980 | |
Lt Gen Ejaz Azim | 7 July 1981 | 15 September 1986 | |
Jamsheed Marker | 17 September 1986 | 30 June 1989 | |
Air Chief Marshal (R) Zulfiqar Ali Khan | 12 July 1989 | 15 September 1990 | |
Najmuddin Shaikh | 14 October 1990 | 22 November 1991 | |
Syeda Abida Hussain | 26 November 1991 | 24 April 1993 | |
Maliha Lodhi | 21 January 1994 | 30 January 1997 | |
Riaz Khokhar | 12 March 1997 | 7 September 1999 | |
Tariq Fatemi | 8 September 1999 | 16 December 1999 | |
Maliha Lodhi | 100px | 17 December 1999 | 4 August 2002 |
Ashraf Qazi | 19 August 2002 | 6 August 2004 | |
General (R) Jehangir Karamat | 17 November 2004 | 3 June 2006 | |
Maj Gen (R) Mahmud Ali Durrani | 5 June 2006 | 9 May 2008 | |
Husain Haqqani | 100px | 26 May 2008 | 22 November 2011 |
Sherry Rehman | 23 November 2011 | 14 May 2013 [2] | |
Jalil Abbas Jilani | 100px | December 2013 |
See also
References
- ↑ Khalid Hasan, "Ambassadors: a passing show" Daily Times, 1 June 2008
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.