Saqlain Javed

Currently serving as Consul/Head of Chancery at Consulate of Pakistan in Glasgow, UK, Dr Saqlain Javed was the winner of the Merit Scholarship for five years for the Medical Studies course. He graduated in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from King Edward Medical College at the Punjab University in Lahore in 1995.

Dr Saqlain served as House Officer at the Post Graduate Medical Institute, Services Hospital, Lahore for one year, and then went on to join the Civil services of Pakistan in 1999. He served as Section Officer at the Ministry of Finance in Islamabad for approximately 1 year and then attended various training programmes at the Civil Services academy (CSA) and the Secretariat Training Institute (STI). He was then awarded a Scholarship by SDA Bocconi and in 2002 gained his Masters in International Healthcare Management, Economics and Policy (MIHMEP) at the Graduate School of Management in Milan, Italy. 

Dr Saqlain completed the Specialised Diplomatic Course in 2003, with focus on International Relations, Diplomacy and Leadership, International Economics, Foreign Trade, International Law, Conflict resolution and Negotiation skills. He gained knowledge and understanding through intensive lectures given by guest speakers, including foreign diplomats, Federal Ministers and Federal Secretaries at the Foreign Services Academy, Islamabad.

Dr Saqlain had his first assignment at the Ministry of foreign affairs in Islamabad as the Assistant Chief of Protocol in 2003. He was then posted as Third Secretary/OSD at the Embassy of Pakistan in Tunis, Tunisia, where he served until 2005. While in Tunisia he attended the French language course at the French Cultural Institute and advanced Certificate in Arabic with distinction at the Bourguiba Institute of Modern Languages, Tunis.

In 2005, he was re-posted to Pakistan, where he served as Assistant Director (Human Resources, Training & Career Planning) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad for a year. In 2006, Dr Saqlain availed the Nanyang Fellows scholarship by NBS and gained his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in 2007 from Nanyang Business School (NBS), Singapore in collaboration with MIT, USA and received the Dean’s Outstanding Academic Achievement Award. During the same year he attended the International Management Programme at Sloan School of Management, USA.

In July 2007, he was posted as Deputy Director (Foreign Secretary’s Office) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad. Subsequently in March 2009, he was posted as Consul/Head of Chancery at Consulate of Pakistan in Glasgow, UK. The Consulate of Pakistan in Glasgow acts as an interface to promote political, economic and socio-cultural interests between Pakistan and Scotland. His responsibilities as a diplomat include:

*To interpret Pakistan’s foreign policy to the host government and help foster friendly political, economic and cultural relations

*To conduct economic intelligence by studying local business trends, analyse economic conditions and accordingly identify opportunities for government and the private sector

*To draft periodic reports on political activities, market conditions, public opinion and other issues

*To implement border security policies as an entry clearance officer by deciding visa and passport applications through face-to-face interviews and documentary reviews.

*Providing assistance to Pakistanis/Dual citizens through notary and registration services

*Implementing measures to ensure the welfare of Pakistanis visiting or residing in the UK

*To coordinate administrative, logistical, security and protocol arrangements for VVIP, Ministerial and Diplomatic visits

*Interact with the Diplomatic Corps in Edinburgh to promote national interests

*Attend conferences, seminars and diplomatic receptions to gather information and its dissemination to relevant quarters.

*Working with print and electronic media for cultural exchanges and outreach for the interests of public diplomacy.

*To oversee the day-to-day administrative affairs of the Consulate, from procurements to physical and operational maintenance of the building. Also to manage personnel including staff appraisals. To supervise preparation of the budget for the Consulate and maintain accounting and financial transparency and discipline, ensuring compliance with the prescribed rules.