Saarc to get first woman secy gen

Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) is set to get a woman secretary general, for the first time since its inception 25 years ago.
The Saarc Secretariat in Kathmandu has confirmed that former lawmaker of the Maldives Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed will be appointed Saarc secretary general on March 1, said diplomatic sources.
The present chief, former Indian envoy to Austria Sheel Kant Sharma, completes his three years term on Feb 28.
Fathimath, 36, also a former attorney general of the island nation, will also be the youngest Saarc secretary general ever.
The 8-nation regional forum rotates its secretary general among the member countries every three years. It is the Maldives' turn to lead the organisation.
The Maldives will host the 17th Saarc summit scheduled for November 10-11 in the South Province.
Foreign ministry sources said the Maldives during 16th Saarc summit in Thimphu in April last year recommended Fathimath Dhiyana for the post.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the members of Saarc founded in 1985 in Dhaka. The regional bloc included its eighth member, Afghanistan, in 2007.