Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI3289
2006-05-12 05:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
BIO NOTES: NEW PAKISTANI DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER
how-toVZCZCXRO2200 OO RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHNE #3289/01 1320528 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 120528Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3766 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1974 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8255 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 3852 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 2580 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 3236 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 003289
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR/B
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR IN PK CH NZ
SUBJECT: BIO NOTES: NEW PAKISTANI DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER
TO DELHI AFRASIAB
REF: 04 NEW DELHI 8181
Classified By: DCM Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 003289
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR/B
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR IN PK CH NZ
SUBJECT: BIO NOTES: NEW PAKISTANI DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER
TO DELHI AFRASIAB
REF: 04 NEW DELHI 8181
Classified By: DCM Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (U) The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on May 4
informed Post of the arrival of Mohammad Afrasiab, previously
Minister (Political) at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, as
their new Deputy High Commissioner. (NOTE: In his CV and
nearly all press references, Afrasiab uses only his family
name. END NOTE.) Outgoing Deputy High Commissioner Munawar
Saeed has been named Pakistan's first High Commissioner to
New Zealand. Afrasiab's CV, as provided by the Pakistani
High Commission, follows.
2. (SBU) Begin CV:
Education: Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Murree, and
Government College, Lahore. Joined Pakistan Foreign Service
in 1984.
Professional Background:
-- 1986-87: Desk Officer for the United States, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1987-91: Third Secretary/Second Secretary (Political),
Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC.
-- 1991-92: Desk Officer for the United States, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1992-94: Staff Officer to the Secretary-General, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1994: Desk Officer for the United Nations, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1994-97: First Secretary (Political),High Commission for
Pakistan, New Delhi.
-- 1997-2000: Alternate Permanent Representative of Pakistan
to the United Nations, Permanent Mission of Pakistan, Vienna,
and First Secretary (Political) and Deputy Chief of Mission,
Embassy of Pakistan, Vienna.
-- 2000-02: Director for Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Islamabad.
-- 2002-03: Director for Americas, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 2003-06: Counselor (Political),Embassy of Pakistan,
Beijing.
-- 2006 - Present: Minister/Deputy High Commissioner, High
Commission for Pakistan, New Delhi.
Publications:
-- US Relations with South Asia (since Christopher Columbus)
and Pakistan-India Interaction (1492-2002),published by
Worldmate, Islamabad (559 pages; First Edition April 2002,
Second Edition July 2002).
-- Articles on: US Foreign Service; Functioning of the US
Congress; China; Face-Reading; and Theology
Courses/Seminars:
-- December 1988: Course on "Structure and Functioning of the
US Congress" in Washington, DC, arranged by the Asia
Foundation.
-- November 1990: Course on "US Senate and its Interaction
with the Department of State" in Washington, DC.
-- January-February 2003: Completed a two-month course on
"International Relations and US Foreign Policy" in
NEW DELHI 00003289 002 OF 002
Washington, DC, organized by the US National Defense
University.
Comment
--------------
3. (C) Based on Afrasiab's CV and what we understand about
staffing patterns and priorities in the Pakistan Foreign
Ministry, Afrasiab appears to be a strog candidate for a
future senior return posting to the US, either to Washington
or to the Pakistan Mission to the UN in New York. During his
May 11 courtesy call on the DCM and PolCouns he demonstrated
his deep knowledge of how the USG operates, which his
multiple US-related postings would suggest. For example,
Afrasiab was Desk Officer for the US when Ambassador Arnold
Raphel was posted to Islamabad, and he recalls Ambassador
Powell from her Pakistan tours as well.
4. (C) Afrasiab has a more formal demeanor than his
predecessor. A Qureshi, he hails from Muzzafargarh in
Pakistani Punjab. Afrasiab during his courtesy call
demonstrated a hard focus on what he called "the core issue"
between India and Pakistan (i.e. a territorial agreement
regarding Jammu and Kashmir, which from his perspective would
favor Islamabad).
5. (C) Pakistan High Commission First Secretary Khalid
Jamali noted to Poloff that Afrasiab was coming to New Delhi
at a time of high turnover at the High Commission. In
addition to most of their Political Section rotating out
(Jamali to Islamabad),High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan
(Reftel) would complete his tour by August. Jamali said he
has not yet heard who will replace Aziz.
6. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR/B
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PREL PINR IN PK CH NZ
SUBJECT: BIO NOTES: NEW PAKISTANI DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER
TO DELHI AFRASIAB
REF: 04 NEW DELHI 8181
Classified By: DCM Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (U) The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on May 4
informed Post of the arrival of Mohammad Afrasiab, previously
Minister (Political) at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, as
their new Deputy High Commissioner. (NOTE: In his CV and
nearly all press references, Afrasiab uses only his family
name. END NOTE.) Outgoing Deputy High Commissioner Munawar
Saeed has been named Pakistan's first High Commissioner to
New Zealand. Afrasiab's CV, as provided by the Pakistani
High Commission, follows.
2. (SBU) Begin CV:
Education: Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Murree, and
Government College, Lahore. Joined Pakistan Foreign Service
in 1984.
Professional Background:
-- 1986-87: Desk Officer for the United States, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1987-91: Third Secretary/Second Secretary (Political),
Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC.
-- 1991-92: Desk Officer for the United States, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1992-94: Staff Officer to the Secretary-General, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1994: Desk Officer for the United Nations, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 1994-97: First Secretary (Political),High Commission for
Pakistan, New Delhi.
-- 1997-2000: Alternate Permanent Representative of Pakistan
to the United Nations, Permanent Mission of Pakistan, Vienna,
and First Secretary (Political) and Deputy Chief of Mission,
Embassy of Pakistan, Vienna.
-- 2000-02: Director for Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Islamabad.
-- 2002-03: Director for Americas, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Islamabad.
-- 2003-06: Counselor (Political),Embassy of Pakistan,
Beijing.
-- 2006 - Present: Minister/Deputy High Commissioner, High
Commission for Pakistan, New Delhi.
Publications:
-- US Relations with South Asia (since Christopher Columbus)
and Pakistan-India Interaction (1492-2002),published by
Worldmate, Islamabad (559 pages; First Edition April 2002,
Second Edition July 2002).
-- Articles on: US Foreign Service; Functioning of the US
Congress; China; Face-Reading; and Theology
Courses/Seminars:
-- December 1988: Course on "Structure and Functioning of the
US Congress" in Washington, DC, arranged by the Asia
Foundation.
-- November 1990: Course on "US Senate and its Interaction
with the Department of State" in Washington, DC.
-- January-February 2003: Completed a two-month course on
"International Relations and US Foreign Policy" in
NEW DELHI 00003289 002 OF 002
Washington, DC, organized by the US National Defense
University.
Comment
--------------
3. (C) Based on Afrasiab's CV and what we understand about
staffing patterns and priorities in the Pakistan Foreign
Ministry, Afrasiab appears to be a strog candidate for a
future senior return posting to the US, either to Washington
or to the Pakistan Mission to the UN in New York. During his
May 11 courtesy call on the DCM and PolCouns he demonstrated
his deep knowledge of how the USG operates, which his
multiple US-related postings would suggest. For example,
Afrasiab was Desk Officer for the US when Ambassador Arnold
Raphel was posted to Islamabad, and he recalls Ambassador
Powell from her Pakistan tours as well.
4. (C) Afrasiab has a more formal demeanor than his
predecessor. A Qureshi, he hails from Muzzafargarh in
Pakistani Punjab. Afrasiab during his courtesy call
demonstrated a hard focus on what he called "the core issue"
between India and Pakistan (i.e. a territorial agreement
regarding Jammu and Kashmir, which from his perspective would
favor Islamabad).
5. (C) Pakistan High Commission First Secretary Khalid
Jamali noted to Poloff that Afrasiab was coming to New Delhi
at a time of high turnover at the High Commission. In
addition to most of their Political Section rotating out
(Jamali to Islamabad),High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan
(Reftel) would complete his tour by August. Jamali said he
has not yet heard who will replace Aziz.
6. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD