Islamabad, April 25: Pakistan Friday appointed Salman Bashir as its new foreign secretary, replacing Riaz Mohammed Khan.

Bashir, who joined the Pakistan Foreign Office in 1976, is currently Pakistan's ambassador to China. Khan, who has served as Pakistan's foreign secretary for nearly three years, had put in a request to the government to relieve him of his responsibilities for personal and health reasons.

Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Mohammed Sadiq confirmed the appointment of Bashir as Pakistan's new foreign secretary.

The foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in Islamabad May 20. However, it is not yet clear whether Bashir will head the Pakistani delegation at the talks or whether the government will request Khan to stay on till the dialogue between the two sides was over.