ISLAMABAD - Seasoned diplomat Tehmina Janjua on Monday became the first woman foreign secretary of Pakistan as Islamabad aims to improve ties with the United States and defuse tensions with India.

Incumbent foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry is set to fly to Washington to replace Jalil Abbas Jilani as ambassador.

“The prime minister has been pleased to appoint Tehmina Janjua, presently serving as our ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, as the new Foreign Secretary. Tehmina Janjua will assume the post of foreign secretary in the first week of March 2017,” said a statement issued by the foreign ministry.

Janjua was always the front runner despite the fact that High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Syed Ibne Abbas were also considered for the job.

Pakistan’s ambassador in China Masood Khalid and former ambassador to France Ghalib Iqbal too were among the candidates.

The key appointments of foreign secretary and Pakistan’s ambassador to the US have come after careful considerations as Prime Minister Sharif aims to improve ties with the US.

The immediate challenges for the top Pakistani diplomats are garnering world support for Pakistan against India and winning US President Donald Trump’s trust.

The new foreign secretary will also need to work hard on the Kashmir issue to seek global backing for a peaceful solution to the decades-old issue.

The Afghan issue is another big challenge. Ties with Iran and other regional countries will also need some attention.

Sharif also trusts Tehmina Janjua as an experienced diplomat, to deal well with the US and regional countries.

Janjua is also known as a qualified diplomat – with a career spanning 32 years - and has held several important positions in the past.

She holds master’s degrees from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and Columbia University, New York.

She has rich experience of working in bilateral and multilateral domains both at the ministry’s headquarters and missions abroad.

She also served as spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tehmina Janjua joined Foreign Service in 1984.

From 1986 till 1987 she was the desk officer, Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

In 1989, she was appointed acting director of the Office of the National Security Adviser.

From 1990 till 1995, she remained second secretary and later first secretary, Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations.

Janjua remained director Foreign Secretary's Office from 1995-1996.

From 1996-2000, she was the counsellor Pakistan Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva.

In 2000, she became director Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Office.

From 2004 till 2005, she was appointed director Foreign Secretary's Office.

Afterwards, from 2005 till 2009, she remained the deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva.

From 2009 till 2011, she served as director-general (strategic planning) in the Foreign Secretary's Office.

In 2011, she was appointed spokesperson Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad and director-general (strategic planning) at the Foreign Secretary's Office.

From December 2011 to October 2015, she remained ambassador of Pakistan to Italy.

On October 6, 2015 she was posted as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva.

Former Pakistan ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman appreciated Tehmina Janjua’s appointment. “She is a good choice, not only because she is the first woman to hold this post, but also because she is competent and experienced,” she said.

Rehman said that Tehmina Janjua should be allowed to prove her talent as the foreign secretary.

“I just hope she is given more room to reshape the Foreign Office as an important node for policy-making and coordination. Pakistan needs all hands on deck at this point now, with clear risks and opportunities on the international front. Tehmina Janjua should be given the space and policy clarity to [let her] do her job,” she added.

Former ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand said that the new foreign secretary was experienced and should prove successful.

“We need to improve ties with the US, our relations with India should be better. We also need to retain friendly ties with our friends. Tehmina Janjua is a good diplomat and she should deliver,” he said.

Pakistan’s permanent envoy to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi also welcomed Tehmina Janjua’s appointment. 

“Pakistan appoints its first female foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua - another first for the country,” she tweeted.

FO SAYS ASSERTIONS ABOUT TERRORIST SAFE HAVENS MISPLACED

Pakistan on Monday said it was keenly following the deliberations in the US Senate on the situation in Afghanistan and discussions in the US media and think tanks on Pak-US relations.

Responding to the recent discussions in the US on Afghanistan and Pakistan-US relations, a foreign office spokesperson said: “We welcome the sentiments of all those who have acknowledged Pakistani leadership’s commitment to supporting the realisation of a stable and peaceful Afghanistan besides recognising the complexities involved in achieving peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and expressing a desire to work with Pakistan to eliminate terrorism.”

He said: “We have also taken note of the voices recommending a holistic review of the US policy to see how Pakistan and the US could work together to promote peace and security in the region for the benefit of both countries and the region.”

The spokesperson said that Pakistan was disappointed with some of the assertions and insinuations made in the recent discussions about terrorist safe havens in Pakistan that “we feel are misplaced and not in sync with the current situation on the ground.”

The spokesperson said any discussion on the future of Afghanistan and the way forward in Pakistan-US relationship should take into account Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war on terror.

He added: “Thanks to the remarkable success of our decade long military operations in the FATA, especially Operation Zarb-e-Azb and continued law enforcement activities, Pakistan has been successful in destroying and eliminating the command and control structure of terrorist outfits operating from Pakistan-Afghan border.”

The discussions, he said, speak of a multiplicity of factors both military and non-military that contribute to the existing stalemate in Afghanistan.

Therefore, singling out Pakistan and pinning the entire blame on Pakistan for the situation in Afghanistan is neither fair nor accurate, nor is it borne out by the ground realities, he said.

Pakistan, the spokesperson said, has consistently called for a negotiated peace settlement in Afghanistan, which remains the responsibility of all parties to the conflict.

He said on a number of occasions in the past, Pakistan and the United States had agreed at the highest level on the criticality of border management and settlement of refugees as fundamental issues in achieving any degree of success in Afghanistan.

“Sadly, even when there are serious policy debates on the larger issue of borders and refugees in other parts of the world, no serious attention is being given to Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the discussion,” he added.

The spokesperson said terrorist groups attacking Pakistan have found safe havens in Afghanistan.

The nexus between ISIL-K and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is also a source of deep concern for Pakistan.

The spokesperson said Pakistan’s resolve to defeat terrorism remains unwavering.  Emerging terrorist networks like ISIL would not deter Pakistan from continuing its valiant struggle against terrorism.