Geetika Srivastava, a senior diplomat and joint secretary (Indo-Pacific) in the Indian external affairs ministry, has been appointed as the chargé d’affaires at the Indian high commission in Islamabad, Pakistan. This significant appointment makes her the first woman diplomat to hold this post in the Indian mission in Islamabad.
Suresh Kumar, the current Indian chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, is expected to return to New Delhi soon. On the other side, Saad Warraich, who is currently serving as the director general of the Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey desk at Pakistan’s foreign ministry, will assume the role of chargé d’affaires in New Delhi.
This diplomatic reshuffle comes as both the Indian and Pakistani missions in Islamabad and New Delhi have not been headed by high commissioners since August 2019. The relations between the two nations have been strained following a series of terror attacks on Indian soil, and Pakistan’s decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with India after the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status by the Indian government.
Geetika Srivastava is a seasoned diplomat, belonging to the 2005 batch of the Indian Foreign Service. Her previous diplomatic assignments include serving at the Indian embassy in China from 2007 to 2009. She has also held positions at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata and served as the director of the Indian Ocean Region division in the external affairs ministry.
This appointment reflects India’s efforts to maintain diplomatic engagement with Pakistan, despite the challenges and strained relations between the two countries. It also highlights the growing role of women diplomats in leadership positions within the Indian foreign service.
