Maleeha Lodhi (File Image)
Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has been removed. Munir Akram has been appointed in her place.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the appointment of ambassador Munir Akram as Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Maleeha Lodhi has held the office of Pakistan's envoy to the UN since February 2015.
Munir Akram has served as Pakistan's permanent representative to UN for six years between 2002 and 2008. Munir Akram specialises in multilateral diplomacy with considerable experience over the years at the UN's New York and Geneva chapters, Geonews reported.
The development comes days after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's failed address at the UN. During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Imran Khan furthered a false narrative against India. Infact, the Pakistani prime minister went on to threaten India of nuclear war. And all that, at the biggest international platform. He rhetorically asked about "choice" he would have if two nuclear-armed countries of India and Pakistan waged war against each other.
Who is Maleeha Lodhi?
Well, Maleeha Lodhi needs no introduction. She is Pakistan's very own Gaffe Queen. In a major goof-up, Maleeha Lodhi called British Prime Minister Boris Johnson 'Foreign Minister' on Twitter. She deleted the tweet after around an hour and put out another picture 'Sorry typo in the previous tweet. Prime Minister Imran Khan Met British PM this morning'.
Back in August, Maleeha Lodhi had to make an exit from an event after a man heckled and accused her of corruption. The man hurled abuses at her, saying she was a thief and did not deserve to represent Pakistan at the convention.
While the diplomat was apparently addressing mediapersons, the visibly enraged man asked if she had a minute to answer his questions and then without waiting for a reply asked: "What have you been doing for the last 15 to 20 years? You are not representing us." Lodhi asked him to stop, to which the man replied he would not.
And, if we further rewind...we have one hell of a blunder made by Maleeha Lodhi.
Maleeha Lodhi goofed up at United Nations when she used a picture from Gaza to show the so-called "Indian atrocities in Kashmir." However, the image turned out to be of 17-year-old Rawya Abu Jom who was injured when two Israeli airstrikes hit her family's apartment in Gaza during the 2014 war.
ALSO READ | Pakistan man accuses ambassador at UN Maleeha Lodhi of corruption, calls her a thief
ALSO READ | No country has done more than Pakistan to dismantle Al-Qaeda, claims Maleeha Lodhi
