Special Secretary of the Foreign Office Nabeel Munir is set to become Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, replacing incumbent Asim Iftikhar, who has been appointed foreign secretary. Highly placed diplomatic sources stated that Nabeel Munir, a Grade-22 officer of the Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP), is currently serving as Special Secretary and overseeing UN affairs at the Foreign Office. His formal appointment is expected to be finalized after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif returns from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.

Asim Iftikhar, the outgoing head of Pakistan's UN mission, is expected to return to Islamabad in the second week of October to assume charge as the country's new foreign secretary. Sources added that the government directed Nabeel to remain at the UN headquarters during the high-level engagements of the UNGA session, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's address to the world body on 25 September.

He is scheduled to depart for New York on Thursday to formally take over his new diplomatic assignment. The transition comes at a crucial time for Pakistan's foreign policy as the country continues to actively engage with international partners at multilateral forums.

Diplomatic circles have welcomed the appointment, noting that Nabeel Munir brings extensive experience to the role, having served in various key diplomatic positions throughout his career. His familiarity with multilateral diplomacy is expected to further strengthen Pakistan's representation at the global stage.