Jalil Abbas Jilani

Jalil Abbas Jilani trained in law and defense and strategic studies and pursued a career specializing in South Asian affairs. His assignments included work on India and SAARC, service as acting high commissioner in New Delhi, and the Foreign Office spokesperson’s role. He later headed Pakistan’s missions in Australia and to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union before becoming foreign secretary in 2012. ¹

He took charge of the Washington embassy in January 2014 after serving as foreign secretary through December 2013. At Carnegie that June, he discussed prospects for India–Pakistan peace following Narendra Modi’s election. Education formed another part of his public diplomacy: at a 2016 Fulbright seminar in California, he promoted the revived bilateral education working group and plans to expand joint science and technology research funding. ^{2, 3}

After returning from Washington, Jilani served on the prime minister’s foreign affairs advisory council from 2019 to 2022 and worked with Pakistani policy institutes. He was sworn in as caretaker foreign minister on 17 August 2023. ¹

In January 2024, after Iran and Pakistan exchanged strikes across their border and downgraded diplomatic relations, Jilani spoke with his Iranian counterpart about security cooperation and the return of ambassadors. He also told Turkey’s foreign minister that Pakistan did not seek further escalation. ⁴