Geetika Srivastava, a 2005 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, has been appointed as the new Charge d’Affaires (CDA) in Islamabad, making her the first woman to lead India’s High Commission in Pakistan since Independence.
This significant development comes as India and Pakistan maintain a downgraded status of diplomatic representation in each other’s capitals.
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Srivastava, currently serving as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has an impressive career in diplomacy. Her previous roles include handling the Indo-Pacific division, and she possesses expertise in the Mandarin language, acquired during her tenure in the Indian Embassy in China from 2007 to 2009.
She has also worked in various crucial roles, such as at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata and as Director of the Indian Ocean Region division in the MEA.
Since 1947, when Sri Prakasa became the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, all Indian heads of mission in Pakistan have been male diplomats, totaling 22.
The last Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad, Ajay Bisaria, was withdrawn following Pakistan’s decision to downgrade the status of the High Commission in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
While women diplomats have been posted to Pakistan in the past, none have held the highest position until now. Pakistan is often considered a “non-family” posting for Indian diplomats, which typically deters women officers from taking up assignments in the country. Currently, there is one woman diplomat at the First Secretary level in the Indian High Commission.
Geetika Srivastava’s appointment signifies a significant step towards gender diversity and equality in India’s diplomatic missions, highlighting the Indian government’s commitment to promoting women in leadership roles.
She is expected to assume her new role in Islamabad in the near future, marking a historic moment in India-Pakistan diplomatic relation