Geetika Srivastava India's charge d'affaires at Indian High Commission in Islamabad (Image: Twitter.com/gitikasrivastav)

Geetika Srivastava will be the first woman to be appointed as chargé d”affaires at its high commission in Islamabad, according to reports. Ms Srivastava is currently a joint secretary at Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters, New Delhi.

A 2005 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Ms Srivastava is at the Indo-Pacific division of India”s external affairs ministry. She will succeed Suresh Kumar, who is India”s chargé d”affaires at Islamabad, and she will take over the responsibilites in Pakistan shortly. This position in Pakistan is considered crucial in the diplomatic circles due to India”s volatile relationship with its neighbour.

The high commissions in Islamabad and Delhi of both the countries countries are being headed by their respective charge d”affaires after Islamabad downgraded diplomatic ties following India”s decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, reported Deccan Herald.

Before he stint at the external affairs ministry, Ms Srivastava had served in the Indian High Commission in China and also had posting at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata. She had also severed as Director of the Indian Ocean Region division in the external affairs ministry in the past.