Mohammad Sadiq, a veteran Pakistani diplomat, has been appointed as Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Afghanistan Affairs. “The Prime Minister has been pleased to approve the appointment of Ambassador (r) Mohammad Sadiq as Special Representative for Afghanistan Affairs with immediate effect,” an official notification said. Besides the peace process, Sadiq faces a big challenge of how to normalize relations with Afghanistan as tense ties have badly affected bilateral engagements. Sadiq, who has served as Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan from 2008 to 2014, is a seasoned diplomat, enjoying a positive reputation as a professional. His tenure as ambassador of Pakistan in Afghanistan has been a high point in his cap, before he retired as secretary to the National Security Division in October 2016. As Pakistan has played a key role as facilitator in the Afghan peace process until the Taliban and the United States signed the landmark agreement in February this year to end war in Afghanistan, Sadiq’s role will be important in the future peace efforts. The intra-Afghan negotiations should be completely an Afghan affair, but being as one of the major stakeholders, Sadiq will now lead Pakistan’s peace efforts especially its role as a facilitator. The US and other key players recognize Pakistan’s role. Diplomats who know Sadiq say that he has made active efforts, duly recognized by both sides, to promote and further strengthen Pakistan-Afghanistan bilateral relations during his stint as ambassador. His initiatives to engage and promote goodwill particularly among the non-Pashtun Afghan communities are a hallmark of his tenure. Hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he understands intricacies of the Afghan issue both in its historical and socio-economic contexts. He has the advantage of knowing many current political Afghan figures personally, that could be put to use as the process of intra Afghan dialogue starts. Former Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Dr Omar Zakhilwal has welcomed ambassador Sadiq’s appointment. “I welcome the appointment of @AmbassadorSadiq as Pak’s Special Envoy for Afg. Not only does he have deeper knowledge, understanding & right temperament for the job but also has been a strong advocate for more constructive Pak Afghan policy, promoter of peace & close bilateral relations,” Zakhilwal said in a Twitter post. Sadiq met Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday and discussed the peace process in Afghanistan and regional security. Qureshi congratulated Sadiq on his appointment and hoped that his new key position and vast diplomatic experiences will help in further improvement of relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a Foreign Office statement said. Qureshi said that durable peace and security in Afghanistan is inevitable for development and progress of the region. He said Pakistan has played its sincere role in the Afghan peace process which has been appreciated by the international community. “Pakistan will continue to play its effective role for peace and security in the region,” Qureshi said. The appointment of Sadiq has been made just days before the visit of US point person for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who is travelling to Kabul, Doha and Islamabad to advance peace efforts. Ambassador Sadiq served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2008 until 2014. During his service, he held several key positions, including spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and served as a diplomat in various capacities in Washington, Beijing and Brussels, while also representing Pakistan in several multilateral and bilateral conferences/meetings.