In this episode of “Conversation with a Diplomat”, Irsa Khalid sits with His Excellency Aamir Shouket, Ambassador of Pakistan to Egypt.
Ambassador Shouket shares candid insights about his early days in the Foreign Service, the stark transition from pre-internet diplomacy to the digital era and his inspiring advice for the youth to dream big.
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TDI: Diplomacy is a demanding profession, but there’s always more to a person than their title. Before we talk about your career, could you tell us a little bit about your personal journey and what truly drives you?
Amb Aamir Shouket: When I joined my profession in 1994, at the age of 25, I think I immediately fell in love with my job. Every day, waking up and trying to do something new—that is what actually inspires me to move forward. Every day, be it a workday or a weekend, this is my passion.
TDI: We all have that one moment when our future path suddenly becomes clear. When did you first feel that representing your country was what you wanted to do, and what attracted you to the ever-changing, on-the-move life of a diplomat?
Amb Shouket: I came through the civil service process, and at that time, we had to provide a number of options before being allotted a particular occupational group. The Foreign Service was very high on my list.
The main attraction was that I was genuinely fascinated by the art of diplomacy. I had read a few books on it at the time, and I always wanted to represent my country abroad. That was the initial inspiration that motivated me to prioritize the Foreign Service. Ultimately, it’s what I got, and I am very happy about it.
TDI: Do you enjoy this nomadic life, constantly moving from one country to another?
Amb Shouket: Let me be honest with your listeners: while I enjoy it very much, it is also very hard. It is a tough life. People often think that we are out there just enjoying ourselves, but imagine having to pack up everything—from A to Z—every three years.
You move from one country to another, or back to your own country, and then a few months later, you might have to move again. This takes a huge toll on the family, especially growing children. You move them every three years—their schools change, the language changes, the culture changes, everything.
So yes, while we enjoy it, I must be straightforward: it is a very difficult life. But over time, it becomes second nature to us, and we are always ready to move on.
TDI: A diplomatic career takes years of effort, patience, and sacrifice. Thinking back to your early days, what was one challenge that really tested you and helped shape you as a professional?
Amb Shouket: In the early part of my professional life, I worked under seniors who were from the pre-reform era—from the batches of the 1960s. These were the stalwarts and legends of Pakistani diplomacy, and their standards were extremely high.
Back then, we didn’t have the internet. While computers existed, not every office had one. I had to work with notepads, typewriters, and prepare briefs manually. When I was dealing with countries in Africa or newly independent countries in Central Asia, there were often no faxes; we used to send telexes.
All of these techniques were very new to me. Today’s youngsters enter the service with smartphones, laptops, Zoom, and instant internet access. But in 1994 and 1995, we had to rely on old techniques, and learning how to meet those incredibly high standards with limited technology was a very big challenge.
TDI: With over 30 years of experience now, how do you gel with modern technology? That shift must have been a challenge for someone used to handwritten briefs and notes.
Amb Shouket: Technology offers us incredible opportunities and eases our workload, but it has also brought new challenges. Our office is now with us 24 hours a day in the shape of our mobile phones—emails, WhatsApp, and the internet.
If you go back 20 or 30 years, when I was in the ministry and needed to speak to a colleague in an embassy abroad, we had to book an international overseas trunk call for just three to five minutes. That conversation would only happen during working hours, and we had to carefully calculate the time zones depending on whether they were east or west of us.
Now, with WhatsApp and other apps, there is no limit to making or receiving calls. The time zone differences and the boundary between weekends and working days have almost vanished. We have to be ready to receive the world at any time.
Furthermore, sharing information has become highly demanding. We have official accounts on platforms like X and Facebook. If there is a meeting or an event, we have to post it immediately so people hear it from us first, rather than receiving second-hand, potentially distorted information. The work has become incredibly fast-paced.
TDI: How are you dealing with this fast pace? Are you able to maintain a work-life balance?
Amb Shouket: It is definitely a challenge to strike a balance. Because everything is so fast-paced, the demand from our leadership—both when we are abroad and back home at the ministry—is very high.
We have to keep up to that speed. Alhamdulillah, so far, my team and I have been meeting that challenge and are always ready to respond.
TDI: There are many young people hoping to follow in your footsteps. Beyond academic degrees, what is the most important real-world advice you would give them?
Amb Shouket: My advice to young people is this: do not stop dreaming. Have a vision for your future and then work relentlessly towards achieving it. You must set very high goals for yourself. Even if you don’t reach the absolute top, aiming high ensures you will still end up somewhere great. If you keep your expectations and goals low, you won’t achieve much beyond them. So, keep dreaming big and keep working hard.
TDI: Even with decades of experience, growth never really stops. What personal or professional ambitions are you still looking to conquer in the chapters ahead?
Amb Shouket: I have now put in 31 years of service, and I am in the last three or four years of my career before I retire. My primary ambition right now, while stationed in Egypt, is to elevate Pakistan’s relations with Egypt to the next level.
We are actively working on that. This includes not only political relations but also trade and investment. The world order is shifting more toward bilateral relations, making it crucial for Pakistan to deeply engage with Middle Eastern countries.
TDI: Finally, what message would you like to give to our readers and the younger generation of Pakistan?
Amb Shouket: My message to the people of Pakistan is do not lose hope in your country. It is a great country. We are very well-recognized abroad, and people respect us, Alhamdulillah. It is our collective duty, and our duty as your representatives, to keep Pakistan’s flag flying very high, Inshallah.
And to DiploTV, keep doing what you are doing. You are informing the public about what diplomacy actually entails and showing the hard work behind the scenes that people don’t often see in the news—the sheer effort we put into bringing countries closer and increasing bilateral relations.
Established in December 2008, The Diplomatic Insight is Pakistan’s premier diplomacy and foreign affairs magazine, available in both digital and print formats.
