Geetika Srivastava, India’s first-ever female chargé d’affaires in Pakistan, has arrived in Islamabad, taking up her new role as the head of the Indian mission in Pakistan. She replaces her predecessor, Suresh Kumar, who has returned to New Delhi.
Geetika Srivastava is a 2005 batch Indian Foreign Service officer who previously served as a joint secretary in India’s Ministry of External Affairs’ Indo-Pacific division. Her appointment comes as the Indian and Pakistani missions in Islamabad and New Delhi have been without high commissioners since August 2019, following India’s abrogation of Article 370, which ended the special status of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2019, Pakistan expelled Ajay Bisaria, the last Indian high commissioner to serve in Islamabad, after India’s move to change Jammu and Kashmir’s special status led to a downgrade in diplomatic ties.
Pakistan’s Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Condemns Indian Intelligence Operations In Canada
Earlier, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) denounced the activities of Indian intelligence agencies in Canada, labeling them a “violation” of international law.
In a briefing to reporters at MOFA, spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch asserted that the Canadian Prime Minister’s remarks concerning the killing of Hardeep Singh indicated that India’s actions have extended to an international level.
Baloch underscored Pakistan’s continuous victimization by India’s state-sponsored terrorism and mentioned that PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar would address India’s transgressions in the illegally occupied Kashmir during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
She reported that 68 Kashmiris, including women and children, lost their lives this year, with 13 of them being custodial deaths. Furthermore, she stated that the Indian forces arbitrarily detained 2,900 individuals with the intent of breaking the resolve of the Kashmiri people.
