The Honorable Riffat Masood

Riffat Masood joined the Civil Services of Pakistan in October 1984 as part of the Information Group. She served in the External Publicity Wing of the ministry of Information for two-and-a-half years, before deciding to change her profession. In July 1987, she joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan as a young probationer and has served in various capacities ever since. Her postings include service in the Pakistan High Commission in London, the Pakistan Embassy Paris and in Ankara, Turkey. While posted in Paris, she was also Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, gaining expertise in both multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. She served at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as Political Counselor and later as Deputy High Commissioner. From 1994-1998, Riffat Masood also had the opportunity of working as the Protocol Officer to the Prime Minister. During this period, she served two Prime Ministers, the late Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, thereby witnessing from close quarters the functioning of government. She is now on her fifth posting as the Consul General of Pakistan to Los Angeles.