Pak UN envoy Munir Akram leaving post

UNITED NATIONS - Pakistan UN Ambassador Munir Akram, whom a former US top diplomat described as “smooth-as-silk”, is leaving his post after six-years of service here.

Akram, a competent and respected diplomat, while confirming that his assignment was coming to an end, told correspondents that the government of Pakistan has nominated Abdullah Hussain Haroon, a former speaker of the Sindh Assembly, as the next permanent representative. This, he said, has been conveyed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The “smooth-as-silk” tribute to Akram’s diplomatic skills and finesse was paid by former US chief delegate John Bolton who spoke in his recently published book, “Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations and Abroad.”An expert at multilateral diplomacy, Akram was appointed as Pakistan’s chief delegate at the UN in 2002 after serving as ambassador to the world body’s European offices in Geneva for seven years.