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Pak challenges India for top UN job

By A Correspondent in New Delhi
June 16, 2006 02:42 IST
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Pakistan may field Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for the post of United Nations secretary-general, a media report has said.

Pakistan daily The Dawn on Thursday reported quoting sources that 'Pakistan, which had never ruled out a possibility of fielding a candidate for the top post at the UN, is considering nominating Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who has secured considerable clout with the UN member states recently'.

The report also said that former head of the UN Population Fund, Nafis Sadik, who is presently serving as secretary-general's special envoy on HIV/Aids, or the present Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram may also be nominated.

Observers in India feel Aziz's nomination will eat into the chances of India's Shashi Tharoor, for whom India on Friday voiced official support.

"It's a matter of pride if a son of India and son of Asia becomes United Nations Secretary-General," said Navtej Sarna, spokesman for the ministry of external affairs, while making the official announcement.

Rediff.com had reported on Wednesday that India will support the candidature of Tharoor, the undersecretary-general for communications and public information at the United Nations.

Also read:

The Millennium Special: Shashi Tharoor
The Shashi Tharoor Chat | Interview
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A Correspondent in New Delhi