Geetika Srivastava, who presently holds the position of joint secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters, is set to become India's new chargé d'affaires at the high commission in Islamabad, according to a report by PTI on Monday. She will take over from Suresh Kumar. Those familiar with the development also informed PTI that Geetika Srivastava is expected to assume her role in Islamabad soon.
This appointment is a significant development as both the Indian and Pakistani high commissions, located in Islamabad and Delhi respectively, are under the administration of their respective chargé d'affaires. This arrangement emerged in the wake of Pakistan's decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with India, following India's move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
Previously, she served at the Indian Embassy in China from 2007 to 2009 and has held roles at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata. She also assumed the position of Director of the Indian Ocean Region division at the MEA.
Geetika Srivastava, a member of the 2005 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, currently holds the position of joint secretary within the Indo-Pacific division of the MEA.
Srivastava is set to take position in the country which is currently facing serious economic and political crisis. Pakistan's economy has been going down a spiral for quite a few years now. The nation has been trying to get bailout relief from the pre-existing debt that looms over the nation. Citizens of Pakistan are struggling to survive with frequent power outages and food shortages. Pakistan is ranked at the 99th position in the Global Hunger Index.
The political unrest in the nation was triggered after former Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest following his conviction in the Toshakhana case.
Read More At | 'Politically Motivated': Imran Khan's Aide, Ex-Pak Minister Qureshi On His Arrest Under Official Secrets Act