NEW YORK, Dec 30 (APP):Eminent Pakistani diplomat Rafeeuddin Ahmed, who passed away on Saturday, was laid to rest on Monday in a graveyard in the adjoining state of New Jersey.
Ahmed, who served the United Nations for decades in top positions, breathed his last in a New York Hospital after a protracted illness. He was 93.
His Namaz-e-Janaza was attended by a large number of people, including his friends and UN colleagues as well as family members.
The Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, represented the Pakistani government at the funeral. Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the permanent representative, is currently in Islamabad.
In a statement following Rafeeuddin Ahmed’s death, Ambassador Asim Ahmad paid tributes to him, saying he was a “leading figure in international diplomacy”.
Ahmed served the UN with distinction in prominent positions as an under-secretary-general, Chef de Cabinet to Secretary-General Kurt Waldhiem, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia (UNESCAP) and various key assignments as Special Envoy/Representative of the Secretary-General.
Asim Ahmad added, “He (Rafeeuddin) leaves behind a rich legacy in multilateral diplomacy that will continue to inspire young diplomats around the world. Great loss for Pakistan and the United Nations.”
He is survived by his two sons — Ziauddin and Kamaluddin. His wife, Nighat Ahmed, passed away in 2023.