Islamabad: Ambassador Sohail Mahmood has assumed charge as Director-General of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). He took over from Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry upon completion of his term.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood brings with him vast experience of diplomacy and high-level decision-making. He served in the Foreign Service of Pakistan for nearly 37 years and rose to the rank of Foreign Secretary, serving in that position from April 2019 to September 2022. Prior to that, he was High Commissioner of Pakistan to India from 2017-19. Earlier, he served as Ambassador to Turkiye (2015-17) and Thailand (2009-13). He has also served as Additional Secretary (Afghanistan/West Asia) and Director-General (Americas) and Director-General (Foreign Secretary’s Office). Earlier in his diplomatic career, he served in Pakistan Embassies in Ankara and Washington, D.C., and as a Counsellor at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. He has also served as Director (Iran & Turkiye).
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood holds a Masters degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, New York, and a Masters in History from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.