Geetika Srivastava Becomes First Woman To Lead Indian Mission in Pakistan

Geetika Srivastava, currently serving in the Indo-Pacific division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), will be the new chargé d'affaires at its High Commission in Islamabad, becoming the first woman to hold that post. She will succeed Dr M Suresh Kumar who is likely to return to New Delhi.

(Photo credit: twitter.com/gitikasrivastav)

Geetika Srivastava, currently serving in the Indo-Pacific division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), will be the new chargé d'affaires at its High Commission in Islamabad, becoming the first woman to hold that post. She will succeed Dr M Suresh Kumar who is likely to return to New Delhi.

The Indian and Pakistani missions in Islamabad and New Delhi have been without High Commissioners since August 2019 and are being headed by their respective charge d'affaires.

The last Indian high commissioner in Islamabad was Ajay Bisaria who was withdrawn after Pakistan downgraded the status of the High Commission following the abrogation of Article 370.

Srivastava is a member of the 2005 Indian Foreign Service, and has served in China from 2007 - 2009. She speaks Mandarin, and has also worked in Kolkata as Director of the Indian Ocean Region division of the MEA.

Women diplomats from India have served in Pakistan previously but not in top positions such as this. 

While Srivastava is expected to take up her assignment in Islamabad shortly, the Pakistan government has chosen Saad Warraich, currently director general of the Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey desk at the foreign ministry, as the new chargé d’affaires in New Delhi.