Amna Baloch succeeded Ambassador Syrus Sajjad Qazi, who retired upon achieving superannuation, as Pakistan’s 33rd Foreign Secretary on Wednesday. Tuesday night at the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Syrus was given a formal goodbye dinner in recognition of his professionalism and services throughout his tenure as the 32nd Foreign Secretary. Ishaq Dar, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, praised the departing Foreign Secretary for his skilful management of complex international diplomacy with strategic understanding and accuracy.

He gave a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped him along the way, including his mentors, coworkers, and the hard-working teams he worked with, in his parting speech.

He expressed his gratitude to the Foreign Ministers he worked under as well as the ambassadors, employees, and members of the Foreign Secretary’s Office for their invaluable advice.

With a plethora of experience, Ambassador Amna takes on the role during a time of significant challenges. She has had important roles in Pakistan’s overseas diplomatic missions. Her prior positions included High Commissioner to Malaysia (2019–2023), Consul General in Chengdu, China (2014–2017), and Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, and Luxembourg (2023–2024).

Amna is Pakistan’s second female foreign secretary and the country’s first from Sindh in a very long time, hence her appointment is historic. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry was replaced as Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary by Tehmina Janjua, who was nominated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in February 2017.

Tehmina became the first female to hold the top job in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with this appointment.

Ambassador Amna is particularly renowned for her efforts to strengthen educational relations between Pakistan and Europe and to advance science diplomacy.

She joined the Foreign Service in 1991 and has since held a number of positions, including Additional Secretary in the Foreign Ministry and Joint Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, having earned a Master’s degree in history.Her term, which runs until September 2026, is anticipated to bring stability to the position.