Dr. Lodhi’s removal came as Prime Minister Imran Khan was at the Un to protest India's decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status early August. No reason was given for Dr. Lodhi’s abrupt transfer and he has not been given any assignment back home.
Lodhi's replacement Munir Akram is known for a controversy in 2002 when, while serving as Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations, he was accused of domestic violence by his then girlfriend in the US, Marijana Mihic, in December 2002. According to the New York Times, the case was settled out of the court and he was not charged with the crime despite calls from the US State Department for Islamabad to withdraw Akram's diplomatic immunity.
Social media regulars have started denouncing Akram's appointment, saying a “girlfriend beater” has been made the UN envoy.
— Gul Bukhari (@GulBukhari) October 1, 2019
Pakistan’s new UN envoy Munir Akram is ‘girlfriend basher’, India hater and war monger
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) October 1, 2019
ThePrint's @NayanimaBasu reportshttps://t.co/RjavanZD2R
#Pakistan’s new Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the @UN Munir Akram is a misogynist person & girlfriend beater. In #Pakistan, beating women is considered as an act of bravery. #ImranKhan himself is a wife beater. pic.twitter.com/xyoltdJOiL
— Sabah Kashmiri (@SabahKashmiri) October 1, 2019
#Pakistan appointed girlfriend beater Munir Akram as the country's permanent representative in the UN to beat #India in diplomacy.@TarekFatah @LawrenceSellin pic.twitter.com/TCRyeGAN0y
— Andrea Rose (@Andyrockz2012) October 1, 2019
Pak appointed Munir Akram a radical nut as UN Ambassador again, here are his achievements,
— Sufi 🇮🇳 (@sufirushk) October 1, 2019
1)He threatened US forces with Nuke strike others threatened only India
2)Was booked for thrashing(Sharia) his partner Marijana Mihic in US.
A poster boy of Islamic state of Pak.
Congrats. pic.twitter.com/kSocJyk33C
Domestic Violence charges are one thing against Munir Akram. I am glad people are talking about that. What we should also talk about as follow up is his incapacity to do this job that he already had last time we had a dictator.. are all career diplomats dead #Pakistan
— Adnan Rasool (@adnanrasool) October 1, 2019
Best wishes for Munir Akram, we hope he beats the shit out of diplomacy, and hits hard as a representative, he is a well known striker at domestic level, may he blows up internationally ..... Just sharing the blessings of my colleagues.
The outgoing envoy said representing “Pakistan at the world’s most important multilateral forum was a great privilege.”
It has been an honour to serve the country & am grateful for the opportunity to do so for over four years. Representing Pakistan at the world’s most important multilateral forum was a great privilege. I had planned to move on after UNGA following a successful visit by the PM -1
— Maleeha Lodhi (@LodhiMaleeha) September 30, 2019
On the completion of her tenure as Pakistan's Ambassador to UN, I would like to extend my gratitude to Ambassador @LodhiMaleeha for serving her country with utmost dignity, diligence and honour. Wish her all the very best with her future endeavours.— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) October 1, 2019
— AR🥊 (@ARfrom1947) October 1, 2019
Munir Akram, aged 75 with cases against him for beating his wife, avoided arrest due to diplomatic immunity. You seriously couldn't find anyone clean and competent?
— Soraya (@SorayaAziz) October 1, 2019
