For the first time since India gained independence, a woman will hold the position of India’s head of mission in Pakistan. Geetika Srivastava is a member of the 2005 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). She is set to become the new Charge d’Affaires (CDA) in Islamabad. She will take over from Dr. M Suresh Kumar, who is expected to return to New Delhi.
While the two countries currently have a downgraded status of diplomatic representation in each other’s Capital — there are no High Commissioners, and the highest ranking diplomat is a CDA who is a Joint Secretary-rank equivalent officer — the government has selected a woman IFS officer to lead its High Commission in Pakistan.
Currently she is serving as Joint Secretary at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Srivastava looks after the Indo-Pacific division.
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Geetika Srivastava: From Mandarin Proficiency to Key Diplomatic Roles
Having learned Mandarin as a component of her foreign language education, she worked at the Indian Embassy in China from 2007 to 2009. She has also held positions at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata and served as the Director of the Indian Ocean Region division in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Starting from 1947, when Sri Prakasa was appointed as the Indian High Commissioner to the then Dominion of Pakistan, New Delhi has consistently chosen male diplomats to represent it. Over the years, there have been 22 male heads of mission.
The last Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad was Ajay Bisaria. He was withdrawn after Pakistan decided to downgrade the status of the High Commission. It was following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Women diplomats have been posted to Pakistan earlier, but not at the highest level. It is also considered a hardship posting. Islamabad was declared a “non-family” posting for Indian diplomats a few years ago. That usually limits women officers from taking up the assignment in Pakistan.
Currently, there is a woman diplomat at the First Secretary level in the Indian High Commission.
Srivastava is expected to take up her assignment in Islamabad shortly, sources said.
Pakistan has appointed a new Charge d’Affaires (CDA) in New Delhi as well. Saad Ahmad Warraich, an experienced diplomat who has previously worked at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, is taking over from Salman Sharif. Salman Sharif departed India last month and returned to Islamabad.
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