Jayant Khobragade (IFS:1995) is expected to take over as the acting head of India’s mission in Islamabad. Khobragade served as a counsellor in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad some years ago and also held assignments in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Spain. He was ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic between 2013 and 2017. 

Last August, Pakistan had asked India to withdraw the then high commissioner Ajay Bisaria as part of a slew of retaliatory actions in response to New Delhi’s decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status.

Pakistan had also decided not to go ahead with the posting of the diplomat, who had been chosen as its next envoy to India. Since then, the Indian mission in Islamabad and the Pakistani mission in New Delhi have been headed by their charge d’affaires.

Meanwhile, JP Singh, who was till recently India’s consul-general in Istanbul, is expected to take over as joint secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran). Singh has considerable experience in the region and has served in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk was until recently headed by Deepak Mittal, who has been named the new Indian ambassador to Qatar.