Raghavan is new envoy to Pakistan

India Thursday announced that T C A Raghavan will succeed Sharat Sabharwal as high commissioner to Pakistan later this month.

Raghavan,now Indias high commissioner to Singapore,is an old Pakistan hand. He was Shivshankar Menons deputy when he was the envoy in Islamabad between 2003 and 2006. And when Menon was made foreign secretary in 2006,he called Raghavan to join him as joint secretary for Pakistan,Afghanistan and Iran,a coveted job for mid-level career diplomats in South Block. In this post,he played a key role in crafting New Delhis immediate diplomatic response to the 2008 Mumbai attacks,including mobilisation of international opinion.

More recently,he helped facilitate treatment for the December 16 gangrape victim in Singapore.

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Raghavan,a 1982 batch IFS officer,has also served Indian missions in Britain,Bhutan and Kuwait.

He will take up his new assignment by June end,when Sabharwals term expires. Sabharwal,who has spent more than four years in Islamabad,superannuated last year but was asked to continue till the Pakistan elections were over. Raghavans term will begin almost with that of the new Pakistan government,led by Nawaz Sharif.