India Names Geetika Srivastava First Female Head of Mission to Pakistan

India has announced the nomination of Geetika Srivastava as its Charge d'Affaires (CDA) in Pakistan, marking a historic moment in diplomatic history. It is the first time a woman has been in charge of India's diplomatic mission outside its borders since it attained independence.

Geetika, a skilled diplomat from the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) 2005 batch, has been chosen to assume the important position of Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad. Her appointment coincides with the fact that both India and Pakistan continue to retain a scaled-back diplomatic presence in each other's capitals. She will follow Dr. M Suresh Kumar. The highest-ranking diplomatic officials are CDAs, who are on par with Joint Secretaries in terms of status, rather than High Commissioners.

Geetika now presides over the Indo-Pacific division as Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters. She has a variety of experiences, including a term at the Indian Embassy in China from 2007 to 2009, when she received her training in Mandarin. She has also held leadership roles within the MEA's Indian Ocean Region division as well as at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata.

Since its formation in 1947, India has had a predominance of male diplomats in Pakistan. This represents a considerable break from convention since there have been 22 heads of mission throughout history. Ajay Bisaria served as India's final High Commissioner to Islamabad, however he was recalled after Pakistan downsized the High Commission after Article 370 was repealed in 2019.

It is significant that women ambassadors have occasionally—though not always—been deployed to Pakistan. The opportunity for women officers to hold positions in Pakistan was constrained by the demanding nature of the assignment and the proclamation of Islamabad as a "non-family" posting for Indian diplomats in recent years.

At the Indian High Commission, a woman diplomat is now employed as the First Secretary.

With Geetika’s appointment, India and Pakistan are likely to begin a new era of diplomatic cooperation. She is well-positioned to successfully manage the difficulties of this crucial post because to her broad experience, expertise in international affairs, and established leadership ability.

According to government sources, Geetika is expected to start working in Islamabad soon.

Saad Ahmad Warraich, a seasoned diplomat who formerly served in Pakistan's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, has been named as the country's new CDA in New Delhi. Salman Sharif, who just finished his term in office in India and returned to Islamabad, is succeeded by Warraich.