Senior Pakistani diplomat Amjad Hussain B Sial has assumed the charge as the 13th Secretary General of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) from March 01, 2017, Foreign Office said. The development came following India withdrew its "reservations" on Pakistan's nominee paving the way for the senior diplomat to formally take over as the next secretary-general of the regional intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical union of the eight-member nations in South Asia.
According to Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, this is the second time that a secretary general from Pakistan would be leading the SAARC. Amjad Sial succeeds Arjun Bahadur Thapa of Nepal. He said that Pakistan attaches great importance to regional co-operation under the umbrella of SAARC for promoting the welfare of the people of South Asia, improving their quality of life, accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development.
"The appointment of Sial, an experienced career diplomat, is expected to help revive and strengthen the SAARC process, bringing all the member states together and ensuring timely and effective implementation of programmes and activities that would benefit the region," Zakaria said.
Prior to this appointment, Amjad Sial served as the Special Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. He also served as Director (Pakistan) from 2003-2006 at SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu. He also served as Pakistan Ambassador to Tajikistan from 20011-2014 and also as Charge d' Affaires, Pakistan Mission to the UN in New York. The secretaries-general of SAARC are appointed from member states on the basis of the principle of rotation in alphabetical order for a period of three years.
About the India's objections, the sources said that New Delhi wanted confirmation of Amjad Sail's nomination as the next secretary general by the Council of Ministers of the SAARC which could be not held due to postponement of the SAARC Summit last year in Islamabad when India, Afghanistan and other like-minded countries refused to travel to Pakistan. However, they said that the Indian government withdrew its objections and consequently Pakistan's nominee took over the office of Secretary General of SAARC.