By IANS,
London : India’s 21st High Commissioner to Britain presented his credentials to the Queen Tuesday – coincidentally, just as his Pakistani counterpart began a second stint in London.
Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, the senior-most officer in the Indian Foreign Service, was taken in a horse-driven carriage from his residence at 9 Kensington Palace Gardens to Buckingham Palace.
Presentation of an envoy’s credentials to the British monarch formalises the process of diplomatic representation, although an envoy may begin to work at any time of his choosing by informing the British foreign office.
Meanwhile, Wajid Hasan, a close aide to slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, began his second stint as Pakistan’s High Commissioner Monday.
Hasan’s first tenure ended abruptly in November 1996 following the ouster of Bhutto. He is expected to present his credentials later this summer – a traditionally packed season for diplomatic change-overs.