Former Foreign Secretary and spicy diplomat Najmuddin A Shaikh died peacefully in his home early Friday morning in Karachi, his family announced.

“It is with the most deep grief that we announce former foreign secretary and ambassador Najmuddin A Shaikh died peacefully in his home early Friday morning in Karachi,” the family said in a statement sent to Express Pakinomist.

Funeral prayer for Shaikh will be held on March 28, after ASR beans at 1 p.m. 17.15 on Phase VIII Graveyard DHA, Karachi.

Shaikh, who served as Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary from 1994 to 1997, was a highly regarded diplomat. Originally from Sindh, he joined Pakistan’s Foreign Service in 1961 after his education from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1962. During his 38-year career he had key diplomatic assignments, including Embassy Roles in Canada (1987–1989), West Germany (1989–1990), USA (1990–191) (1992–199). He was followed as foreign secretary by Shamshad Ahmad.

In addition to his foreign service, he was Pakistan’s special envoy to Yemen, Sudan, Kenya and Bahrain in 2005. He also served as a board member of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, and was senior vice president of Karachi Council of Foreign Relations.

Shaikh is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Raana Shaikh, a former CEO of Pakistan -TV and Secretary of the Ministry of Culture. He leaves two children, Nadir Shaikh, a partner at Financial Advisory Qatalyst Partners LLP, and Nermeen Shaikh, a released news producer and weekly co-host at Democracy Now! He is also survived by his daughter -in -law, Sobia Shaikh, and two grandchildren, Isaad and Lyali Shaikh.

His siblings include Waheeda Noorul Hasan, Sirajuddin Shaikh (formerly from Sui Southern Gas Company), Air Marshal (Retd) Riazuddin Shaikh, Dr. Ajazuddin Shaikh, Dr. Rafat Arain and Dr. FareDuddin Shaikh.

When he reflected on his heritage, Hans Niese Erum Shaikh, business table head on the Express Pakinomist, described him as “a treasure trove of knowledge and a prominent diplomat who served Pakistan with unshakable dedication,” added that “conversations with him were not just the exchange of words but raises through history, culture and human understanding.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid tribute to where he said, “As Foreign Secretary, Shaikh brought visionary leadership to the role and formed foreign policy with strategic foresight and mentor generations of diplomats that followed in his footsteps.”

He is known for his diplomatic sharpness and was remembered as “a steadfast spokesman for international cooperation, regional stability and human rights.”

Compassion poured in from colleagues, friends and officials. Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sherry Rehman wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “mourned over the departure to former Foreign Secretary Najmuddin Shaikh. He was a veteran diplomat who continued to serve Pakistan with the highest integrity well after his retirement. He will be missed.”

Former Permanent Representative of the UN, Maleha Lodhi, called him “a solid professional and good man”, while former ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, described him as “an honorable and skilled diplomat who served Pakistan in difficult capitals and harsh circumstances.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Khurram Dastagir complained about the loss of “a dwindling race of diplomats interested deep in the world and with the ability to analyze global events.”

Shaikh’s family has requested prayers in his memory and stating: “We are all asking to offer Surah-E-Fatiha to facilitate his passage to a more calm world.”