ISLAMABAD
The government has appointed Hassan Raza as new high commissioner to Malaysia.
The Foreign Office has also issued notification in this regard. Earlier, Raza was working as ambassador in Qatar. The new appointment was made after retirement of Nadeem Kayani, who was envoy to Malaysia and the post was vacant for the last two months. Raza will take charge of his office this week starting today (Monday).
Raza joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1986. After training at the Civil Services Academy and Foreign Service Academy, he joined the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as desk officer at the United Nations and subsequently as desk officer for Afghanistan.
He also served as assistant legal advisor for international law and treaties. He served with the UN mission in Somalia from 1993 to 1994 as director in various regions of Somalia and in the Office of the UN Special Representative for Somalia.
From 1995 to 1998, he served in the embassy of Pakistan in Kyrgyz Republic and again worked in the Central Asia region from 2001 to 2003 as deputy head of mission at the embassy of Pakistan in Kazakhstan. From 2003 to 2005, he served as deputy consul general in Jeddah and alternate representative of Pakistan to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
He joined the OIC in 2005 as advisor to the OIC secretary-general on political and legal affairs. He served the OIC for three years and worked on various issues like reform and restructuring, including the new charter of the organisation.
He resumed responsibilities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2009 and was director-general of economic cooperation, OIC and Friends of Democratic Pakistan, a group of 21 countries and four international institutions.
He served as D-8 commissioner for Pakistan from 2009 until his appointment as Pakistan’s ambassador to Qatar. He is married with two sons.
He studied at the Punjab University and Columbia University where he earned degrees in political science, international affairs and law.
He specialises in international law and human rights and has regional expertise on South Asia. He also earned regional certificate in Southern Asia from Columbia University.