The Foreign Office announced the appointment of Saima Syed, who is now the director-general (strategic communication division), as the deputy spokesperson and Baloch as the spokesman in a notification.
Baloch is a career diplomat from Pakistan who has held positions including second secretary at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and minister/deputy head of mission at the Beijing Embassy in the past (2015–2020), counsellor for political affairs at the Washington DC Embassy (2006–2011), and ambassador of Pakistan to Korea in the (1999- 2002).
She has held the positions of director (America), director (security council and human rights), and director (strategic planning) in the Office of the Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She worked for the Foreign Service Academy Islamabad in the roles of Director (academic programme) during 2014–2015 and Director–General afterwards.
Baloch has a Master’s in Physics from the Punjab University, a Master’s in International Relations from the prestigious Ecole Nationale d’Administration in France, and a Master’s in Law and Diploma from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States.
This Monday, Iftikhar delivered his credentials to Philippe Franc, director of state protocol for France, who will now represent Pakistan in France.
