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Aziz Ahmed Khan, Pak. envoy to India

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD May 27. Ending days of suspense and confusion, Pakistan has nominated the career diplomat, Aziz Ahmed Khan, as its new High Commissioner to India.

The formal papers seeking approval for the name of Mr. Khan, now Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman, currently the Foreign Office spokesman, were given to India on Monday.

The Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who confirmed the news indirectly, maintained that Islamabad would wait for the green signal from New Delhi before making a public announcement. Pakistan found itself in an embarrassing situation last week when the Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, named Riaz Mohammad Khan, now Ambassador to China, as Islamabad's choice for the post of High Commissioner in New Delhi.

Mr. Jamali had made the ``disclosure'' in the course of a television interview to a private producer for Doordarshan. Within hours of the interview being recorded, the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) announced in its regular news bulletins that Mr. Jamali had ``appointed'' Mr. Riaz Khan as the new envoy to New Delhi.

A shocked Foreign Office issued a terse statement at 2 a.m., contradicting the item and asserted that no decision had been taken.

The whole episode revealed the differences within the establishment on the ideal choice to New Delhi.

Known for his moderate views on critical issues of Pakistan's foreign policy and soft nature, Mr. Khan is not new to India as he had worked as Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi for over two years.

Considered an expert on the intricate politics of Afghanistan, Mr. Khan had served as the envoy to the country during the years when Taliban was in power.

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