Turner end 3-year term as UK envoy in Pakistan, departing mid-January.
After Christian Turner, The selection of a new high commissioner, however, has yet to be announced. The post of the charge daffaires will be taken over by Andrew Dalgleish, the deputy high commissioner, to serve in the interim until the arrival of Turner’s replacement.
Dr. Turner will begin his new position in London as Director General Geopolitical (Political Director) at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom after his return from Pakistan, where he has been deployed since December 2019.
The statement stated that during his three years as High Commissioner, Turner “oversaw the UK’s Covid-19 repatriation efforts, welcomed a UK Foreign Secretary visit, pushed for and secured direct flights from the UK to Pakistan, and began a drive to quadruple UK-Pakistan commerce by 2025.”
Turner posted on Twitter, saying, “Pakistan, I shall miss you.”
It has been announced today that I will leave Pakistan in January to take up position as DG Geopolitical, the “Political Director” in @FCDOGovUK
Pakistan, I will miss you. https://t.co/qHi36i17W8
— Christian Turner (@CTurnerFCDO) December 5, 2022
Tenure of Christian Turner
During his tenure as a British diplomat, Britain took the initiative in responding to Pakistan’s flood disasters. He was instrumental in helping the England men’s cricket team play a Test series again after a gap of 17 years, as well as encouraging sports diplomacy between Pakistan and Great Britain.
A month before his term was to finish, Turner stated: “My life has been incredibly gratifying over the previous three years on both a professional and personal level. In my new position in London, I shall keep an eye on Pakistan’s future attentively.”
From April 2017 until July 2019, Turner served as the British prime minister’s deputy national security advisor and foreign affairs adviser before being named as the country’s high commissioner to Pakistan.
He formerly held the positions of director general, political (acting), and director general for the Middle East and Africa, where he oversaw the organization of the London Syria Conference in the United Kingdom in February 2016.
A month before his term was to finish, Turner stated: “My life has been incredibly gratifying over the previous three years on both a professional and personal level. In my new position in London, I shall keep an eye on Pakistan’s future attentively.”
From April 2017 until July 2019, Turner served as the British prime minister’s deputy national security advisor and foreign affairs adviser before being named as the country’s high commissioner to Pakistan.
He formerly held the positions of director general, political (acting), and director general for the Middle East and Africa, where he oversaw the organization of the London Syria Conference in the United Kingdom in February 2016.
