Amid the deterioration in the bilateral ties between India and Pakistan, New Delhi is set to get a new envoy from Islamabad. Sohail Mahmood is all set to succeed Abdul Basit as the next Pakistani High Commissioner to India. Born in 1962, Mahmood joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1985. His first posting abroad was in Turkey's capital of Ankara between 1991 and 1994. He has also served as Pakistan's Ambasador to Thailand between 2009 and 2013.
Mahmood is currently Pakistan's Ambassador to Turkey - a country he was first posted to as a diplomat. Additionally, he is concurrently accredited to Kosovo. Before taking over as the Pakistan's envoy to Ankara, Mahmood served as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. He has previously served as the Director General (2005-2009), Director (1995-1998) and Section Officer (1986-1991) in the foreign ministry. Unlike many of his predecessors, Mahmood has played no direct role in shaping Pakistan's India policy. According to The Times of India, a foreign ministry official said that Mahmood arrives in India without any 'baggage'.