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DE RUEHNE #3289/01 1320528
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O 120528Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3766
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1974
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8255
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 3852
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 2580
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 3236
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 003289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016 
TAGS: PREL PINR IN PK CH NZ
SUBJECT: BIO NOTES: NEW PAKISTANI DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER 
TO DELHI AFRASIAB 
 
REF: 04 NEW DELHI 8181 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
¶1.  (U) The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on May 4 
informed Post of the arrival of Mohammad Afrasiab, previously 
Minister (Political) at the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing, as 
their new Deputy High Commissioner.  (NOTE: In his CV and 
nearly all press references, Afrasiab uses only his family 
name.  END NOTE.)  Outgoing Deputy High Commissioner Munawar 
Saeed has been named Pakistan's first High Commissioner to 
New Zealand.  Afrasiab's CV, as provided by the Pakistani 
High Commission, follows. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Begin CV: 
 
Education: Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Murree, and 
Government College, Lahore.  Joined Pakistan Foreign Service 
in 1984. 
 
Professional Background: 
 
-- 1986-87: Desk Officer for the United States, Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. 
 
-- 1987-91: Third Secretary/Second Secretary (Political), 
Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC. 
 
-- 1991-92: Desk Officer for the United States, Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. 
 
-- 1992-94: Staff Officer to the Secretary-General, Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. 
 
-- 1994: Desk Officer for the United Nations, Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. 
 
-- 1994-97: First Secretary (Political), High Commission for 
Pakistan, New Delhi. 
 
-- 1997-2000: Alternate Permanent Representative of Pakistan 
to the United Nations, Permanent Mission of Pakistan, Vienna, 
and First Secretary (Political) and Deputy Chief of Mission, 
Embassy of Pakistan, Vienna. 
 
-- 2000-02: Director for Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Islamabad. 
 
-- 2002-03: Director for Americas, Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, Islamabad. 
 
-- 2003-06: Counselor (Political), Embassy of Pakistan, 
Beijing. 
 
-- 2006 - Present: Minister/Deputy High Commissioner, High 
Commission for Pakistan, New Delhi. 
 
Publications: 
 
-- US Relations with South Asia (since Christopher Columbus) 
and Pakistan-India Interaction (1492-2002), published by 
Worldmate, Islamabad (559 pages; First Edition April 2002, 
Second Edition July 2002). 
 
-- Articles on: US Foreign Service; Functioning of the US 
Congress; China; Face-Reading; and Theology 
 
Courses/Seminars: 
 
-- December 1988: Course on "Structure and Functioning of the 
US Congress" in Washington, DC, arranged by the Asia 
Foundation. 
 
-- November 1990: Course on "US Senate and its Interaction 
with the Department of State" in Washington, DC. 
 
-- January-February 2003: Completed a two-month course on 
"International Relations and US Foreign Policy" in 
 
NEW DELHI 00003289  002 OF 002 
 
 
Washington, DC, organized by the US National Defense 
University. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Based on Afrasiab's CV and what we understand about 
staffing patterns and priorities in the Pakistan Foreign 
Ministry, Afrasiab appears to be a strog candidate for a 
future senior return posting to the US, either to Washington 
or to the Pakistan Mission to the UN in New York.  During his 
May 11 courtesy call on the DCM and PolCouns he demonstrated 
his deep knowledge of how the USG operates, which his 
multiple US-related postings would suggest.  For example, 
Afrasiab was Desk Officer for the US when Ambassador Arnold 
Raphel was posted to Islamabad, and he recalls Ambassador 
Powell from her Pakistan tours as well. 
 
¶4.  (C) Afrasiab has a more formal demeanor than his 
predecessor.  A Qureshi, he hails from Muzzafargarh in 
Pakistani Punjab.  Afrasiab during his courtesy call 
demonstrated a hard focus on what he called "the core issue" 
between India and Pakistan (i.e. a territorial agreement 
regarding Jammu and Kashmir, which from his perspective would 
favor Islamabad). 
 
¶5.  (C) Pakistan High Commission First Secretary Khalid 
Jamali noted to Poloff that Afrasiab was coming to New Delhi 
at a time of high turnover at the High Commission.  In 
addition to most of their Political Section rotating out 
(Jamali to Islamabad), High Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Khan 
(Reftel) would complete his tour by August.  Jamali said he 
has not yet heard who will replace Aziz. 
 
¶6.  (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website: 
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/) 
MULFORD