Munir Akram


Munir Akram, HQA is a Pakistani diplomat who is appointed as the Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations. Earlier, he held the post from 2002 to 2008, during which he also served two terms as President of the United Nations Security Council.

Career

Akram did his Bachelors in law from University of Karachi, before doing a Masters in political science from the same institution. He cleared the elite Central Superior Services examinations in 1968 to join public service. After mandatory training, he formally joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1969, with his first posting being the second secretary to Pakistan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Later, besides holding various positions at the foreign ministry, he served on several important diplomatic missions, including as Pakistan's ambassador to Japan and the European Union.
He was appointed as the Permanent Representative of the country to UNO's Geneva office from 1995 to 2002, before holding the same post in New York, where he served till 2008. He had reached superannuation in 2005, but was hired again on an extension contract. He was dismissed by the newly-elected President Asif Ali Zardari in 2008 because of his disagreement over presenting the case of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto to the United Nations. He also served as President of the Security Council for one term each in 2002 and 2004.
On September 30, 2019, he was reappointed as Pakistan's permanent representative to UNO's headquarters in New York.
Akram is also a regular columnist for Pakistan's leading English daily, Dawn.

Charges of assault

In 2003, Akram's then live-in girlfriend, Marijana Mihic, called the Police to report Akram for violent assault against her. Her report included charges of previous incidents of violence. While the New York Police Department did not arrest Munir Akram owing to his diplomatic immunity, the case was pursued by New York County District Attorney Robert Morgenthau with the backing of Majorie Tiven, sister of then Mayor Michael Bloomberg. However, a month later, in February 2003, the DA's office dropped the investigation.

Affiliations

Akram is an advisory board member of the Counter Extremism Project. He is also a former board member of Allis-Chalmers Energy - serving at the company between September 2008 and June 2009.