Tanvir Ahmad Khan
Encyclopedia
Tanvir Ahmad Khan is a former career diplomat
from Pakistan
. He retired as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. He held various key diplomatic offices during his long career including serving as Ambassador in Moscow
(Russian Federation), Paris
(France
), Tehran
(Iran
) and Dhaka
(Bangladesh
).
, eastern Punjab
, in June 1932. His father, Nazir Ahmad Khan, was an educationalist who spent his working life striving to uplift the educational abilities of young Muslims, many of whom were from underprivileged backgrounds. When Pakistan became independent in 1947, Tanvir Ahmad Khan and his parents migrated to Lahore, where Khan continued his schooling, later enrolling at the Government College, Lahore.
in 1989-90 and twice served as Information Secretary to the Government of Pakistan.
.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He retired as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. He held various key diplomatic offices during his long career including serving as Ambassador in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(Russian Federation), Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
(Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
) and Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
(Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
).
Early years
Khan was born in HoshiarpurHoshiarpur
Hoshiarpur is a city and a municipal council in Hoshiarpur district in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded, according to tradition, during the early part of the fourth century. In 1809 it was occupied by the forces of Maharaja Karanvir Singh and was united into the greater state of Punjab....
, eastern Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, in June 1932. His father, Nazir Ahmad Khan, was an educationalist who spent his working life striving to uplift the educational abilities of young Muslims, many of whom were from underprivileged backgrounds. When Pakistan became independent in 1947, Tanvir Ahmad Khan and his parents migrated to Lahore, where Khan continued his schooling, later enrolling at the Government College, Lahore.
Education
Tanvir Ahmad Khan was educated at Government College, Lahore and later continued his studies at Brasenose College, University of Oxford. At Oxford, Tanvir Ahmad Khan read English Literature - earning a BA Honours / MA. Thereafter he returned to Government College Lahore to teach English Literature at his former alma mater, before leaving academia to join government service.Diplomatic Service and Public Offices
Khan served as Pakistan's ambassador to the Russian Federation, Bangladesh, Czechoslovakia, Iran, France, and was accredited to Ireland and Finland. Before he served as Pakistan's ambassador, he had held senior positions in Pakistan's missions in London, Bonn, Kabul and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Islamabad (including additional foreign secretary and director general).Foreign Secretary
Khan served as the 19th Foreign Secretary under the Government of Benazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
in 1989-90 and twice served as Information Secretary to the Government of Pakistan.
After Retirement
After retiring Khan twice served as chairman and director general of the Institute of Strategic Studies in IslamabadIslamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
.