ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has abruptly recalled its Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Amir Khurram Rathore after receiving reports from the Saudi government that the Ambassador was engaged in lobbying meant for reconciliation between former prime minister Imran Khan and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. Meanwhile, Ambassador Ahmed Faroqq, Pakistan’s incumbent ambassador to Denmark, has been made new ambassador for Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities took strong exception to the conduct of Ambassador Rathore and immediately conveyed their concerns to Foreign Ministry in Islamabad. After his explanation and clarification, Ambassador Khurram Rathore was asked to go back to Riyadh and finish his work. “Yes, I will be coming back to Islamabad next week”, Ambassador Khurram Rathore told The Nation on phone from Riyadh. He, however, refused to share any details or reasons for his abrupt recalling to Islamabad. “This is how diplomacy works”, he said when asked about his alleged role for reconciliation between Imran Khan and the Saudi royal family. He refused to comment more on the situation surrounding him. The then Prime Minister Imran Khan made Ambassador Khurram Rathore as Pakistan ambassador to Saudi Arabia on 7th November 2021. He was serving as Pakistan high commissioner to Ottawa when he was asked by the Foreign Office to leave Ottawa and report to Riyadh immediately, in November 2021 when the then Ambassador Gen (retd) Bilal Akbar contract was terminated by the prime minister.
Before being appointed to Canada, Ambassador Rathore was serving as additional secretary to then Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.