Pakistan’s new envoy to Sri Lanka arrives in Colombo

The new High Commissioner of Pakistan to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Major General (retired) Qasim Qureshi will be arriving here in Colombo on Wednesday, 6 March, 2013. Major General (retired) Qasim Qureshi joined Pakistan Army in November 1972, and was commissioned in October 1974. He was retired from Pakistan Army’s active service in October 2009.

Major General Qasim Qureshi has held various important assignments during his military career such as Commander Infantry brigade in Azad Kashmir between 1998-2000, Chief of Staff, Army Strategic Force Command in 2000-2001, Director Operations and Plans at Strategic Plans Division in 2003-04, Commander Infantry Division from 2004 to 2006, DG National Accountability Bureau Punjab in 2006-07, and DG Operations and Plans at Joint Staff Headquarters in 2008-09.

Since retirement, Major General Qasim Qureshi has been involved in various Track 2 initiatives including Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue, Ottawa Dialogue – exploring new nuclear CBMs between India and Pakistan and India-Pakistan Military to Military Dialogue – exploring conventional CMBs between India and Pakistan.

The government of Pakistan has conferred the second highest civilian award of Pakistan ‘Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military)’ to Major General Qasim Qureshi for his distinguished services. Major General Qasim Qureshi is also a recipient of Sitara-i-Esaar.

Major General Qasim Qureshi has graduated from Army Command and Staff College, Quetta in 1985. He has obtained a Master of Arts in War Studies (1988-89) and a Master of Arts in International Studies (2002) from King’s College, London by achieving the distinction award for best student and the Richard Edis Memorial Prize. He has also attended the Armed Forces War Course at the National Defence College, Pakistan in 1995-96 and Royal College for Defence Studies (RCDS) in London, UK in 2002. He also holds Master of Science in Defence and Strategic Studies, from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. After his appointment as Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Major General (retired) Qasim Qureshi called on the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan along with a group of Pakistani envoys designated to various countries. During the meeting, President Asif Ali Zardari asked the country’s envoys to focus on further strengthening and promoting political, economic, trade and commercial ties of Pakistan with rest of the world.