Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday appointed Syed Tariq Fatemi as his special assistant on foreign affairs.

"The prime minister, in terms of rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973 read with serial no. 1A of Schedule V-A of the said rules, has been pleased to appoint Syed Tariq Fatemi, as special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs, with immediate effect," a notification issued by the Cabinet Division read.

Fatemi was seen in several meetings chaired by PM Shehbaz over the last week.

He also served as the special assistant for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on foreign affairs, but was removed in 2017 for his alleged role in 'Dawn leaks.'

Fatemi was born in Dhaka in 1944, and holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Arts. He joined the foreign service at the age of 29 in October 1969. His career as a diplomat spans 35 years, with a number of high-profile appointments around the world.