Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (Urdu: وزارت خارجہ; often referred to as the Foreign Ministry), is the Government of Pakistan's federal and executive level ministry responsible for the foreign relations and foreign policy of Pakistan. The Ministry was created in 1947, and was one of the first ministries to be established. The executive and political figure heading the Foreign Ministry is the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Ministry is currently headed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif, himself.

Function of the Ministry

In Government cabinet secretariat and public service spectrum, the position of Foreign Minister is one of the high-profile portfolios in Cabinet Secretariat, and usually has a Deputy Minister. The Deputy Minister who is known as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs is a chief assistant to the Foreign Minister or is second to take a charge of the ministry in case the Foreign Minister dies or resigns. The Minister also contained an administrative bureaucratic infrastructure that is tasked with the management of foreign affairs records, government identifications, foreign portfolios, and is responsible for coordinating and implementing foreign missions and objectives to Pakistan' diplomatic missions abroad.

Foreign Secretary is the bureaucratic head of the Ministry. Appointed in December 2013, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, a career diplomat, is the current Foreign Secretary.

The Minister operates the diplomatic missions of Pakistan abroad and is responsible for implementing the foreign policy of Pakistan and Pakistan's diplomacy efforts.

The Ministry is headquartered at the Constitution Avenue, Islamabad, a few blocks from Parliament and the Prime Minister Secretariat. The Ministry is led by Foreign Minister, who is nominated by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and is a senior member of the Cabinet.

Departmental Staff and Divisions

• Department of Comprehensive Nuclear-testings ban (Department on CTBT)
• Department of Nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and nuclear power
• Directorate of International Cooperation
• Bureau of Foreign Intelligence
• Department of National Assessment and Security Auditing (NASA)
• Directorate-General for Audit and Inspections (DG AI)
• Directorate-General for Special Projects (DG SP)
• Directorate-General for Foreign Services and Admissions (DG FSA)
• Directorate-General for International Security Services (DG ISS)
  • Directorate for Mission Building and Specialized Programs (MBSP)
  • Directorate for High Security Building (HSB)
• Additional Secretariat for Administration
• Additional Secretariat for Afghanistan and Economic Cooperation Organization
• Additional Secretariat for North America and Americas
• Additional Secretariat for Asia-Pacific
• Additional Secretariat for Europe
• Additional Secretariat for Middle East and Africa
• Additional Secretariat for United Nations
• Additional Secretariat for Policy planning and research

See also

• Government of Pakistan
• Politics of Pakistan
• List of diplomatic missions in Pakistan
• Foreign relations of Pakistan
• Pakistani diplomatic missions

External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs