Pakistan on Saturday named its ambassador to China, Riaz Mohammed Khan, a career diplomat, as high commissioner to India, ending speculation that journalist-turned-diplomat Maleeha Lodhi could occupy the key slot.

India's ambassador to China, Shivshankar Menon, was appointed high commissioner to Islamabad on May 13.

Khan, known as a hardliner, will take charge of the mission last headed by Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, who was asked by India to leave the country following the terrorist attack on the families of army personnel in a military camp in Jammu in May last year.

India had withdrawn its high commissioner, Vijay K Nambiar, from Islamabad in January last year in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali announced the appointment of Khan in an interview to World View programme for Doordarshan.

Khan shot into prominence as Pakistan's foreign office spokesman during the critical months following the 9/11 attacks in the US.

He was subsequently inducted into the presidential secretariat by Musharraf and later appointed as ambassador to China.

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What do you think about the story? Read what others have to say: Number of User Comments: 3 Sub: Pakistan Envoy It is OK to maintain friendly relations with this terrorist neighbour & exchange envoys. India should not allow 100+ embassy staff to return since most ... Posted by Gopal Kollengode Sub: pakistani envoy to india i personally feel that this is one more step towards building a better relationship between our two countries. not very long ago there was a ... Posted by murari saikia Sub: Good That sounds like a good sign. Hope the peace measures continue further to bring in a permanant solution to Kashmir crisis. Posted by Gopalan Sivathanu