Najmuddin A. Sheikh

Najmuddin A. Sheikh, also usually spelled Shaikh, joined Pakistan's foreign service in 1961 after studying at the University of Sindh. He continued his training at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Over a 38 year career he became high commissioner in Canada, ambassador in West Germany, ambassador to the United States in 1990–91, and ambassador in Iran. ^{1, 2}

His Washington appointment coincided with a sharp deterioration in relations. In October 1990 the Bush administration declined the nuclear certification required by the Pressler Amendment, stopping assistance and military sales between the governments. Aircraft Pakistan had already ordered remained undelivered. ^{2, 3}

Fellow diplomat M. Alam Brohi recalled working with him during President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's visit to Pakistan in late 1992, when Sheikh accompanied the Iranian delegation and supervised its arrangements. He became foreign secretary in 1994 and served until 1997. Brohi's recollections describe close attention to junior colleagues and a readiness to mentor officers as well as handle policy. ^{4, 1}

After leaving full time service, Sheikh wrote on foreign affairs and took part in policy institutions, including the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad and the Sindh Council of Foreign Relations. He also served as a special envoy to Yemen, Sudan, Kenya, and Bahrain in 2005. He died in Karachi on March 28, 2025, aged eighty-five. ^{2, 1}