ISLAMABAD: Amjad Hussain B Sial assumed charge as the 13th secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on March 1, 2017. This is the second time a secretary-general from Pakistan is leading the SAARC. Pakistan attaches great importance to regional cooperation under the umbrella of SAARC for promoting welfare of the people of South Asia, improving their quality of life and accelerating economic growth, social progress and cultural development. The appointment of Sial, an experienced diplomat, is expected to help revive and strengthen the SAARC, bringing all the member states together and ensuring timely and effective implementation of programmes and activities that will benefit the region. Prior to this appointment, Amjad Sial served as the special foreign secretary of Pakistan. He succeeds Arjun Bahadur Thapa of Nepal. The secretaries-general of SAARC are appointed from member states on the basis of the principle of rotation in alphabetical order for a period of three years.
