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Jamsheed Kekobad Ardeshir Marker, HI, (b. 24 November 1922) is a veteran Pakistani diplomat. Reportedly, he is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having been ambassador to more countries than any other person.[1] He speaks English, Urdu, Gujarati, French, German, and Russian and was Pakistan's top envoy to the United States and more than a dozen other countries for more than three decades and earned the distinction as the world's longest-serving ambassador.[2]
[edit] Career[edit] Cricket CommentatorHe was a radio cricket commentator.[3] His first broadcast was from the Karachi stadium.[4] [edit] DiplomatAccording to the journalist Susan Taylor, he originally worked in his family's "shipping and pharmaceutical" businesses, and moved into diplomacy in 1965 when he was appointed Pakistan's ambassador to Ghana.[2] Marker was appointed as Pakistan High Commissioner to Ghana, with concurrent accreditation to Guinea and Mali in April 1965. He has since represented Pakistan in Romania (conc. accr. to Bulgaria), the former Soviet Union (conc. accr. to Finland) for 3 years, Canada (conc. accr. to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago), East Germany (conc. accr. to Iceland), Japan, United Nations Office at Geneva, West Germany, France, the United States and finally the United Nations in New York City. Marker served as Ambassador of Pakistan continually for thirty years, in ten different capitals, and nine further concurrent accreditation.[5] He became Ambassador to the United States in 1986 and is said to have helped "negotiate" the Soviet military withdrawal from Afghanistan.[6] He has also served as United Nations Under-secretary General, as a special advisor to United Nations ex-Secretary-General Kofi Annan,[7] and the journalist Susan Taylor praised him for his role in bringing about the resolution of the East Timor conflict and the independence of that nation.[8] Marker was the U.N. special envoy to East Timor in 1999. Annan, the former U.N. secretary-general, is reported to have hailed Marker's "empathy for both sides in the talks."[2] Reportedly, the Portuguese foreign minister praised Marker's "sophisticated and calm approach" while the Indonesian foreign minister said Marker's "diplomatic skills smoothed the way whenever there was a 'snag in the negotiations.'"[2] The British journalist, Richard Lloyd Parry, in his book, In the Time of Madness,[9] recalls Marker's warm words of praise for the Indonesian police and the "superb leadership" of their commander Timbul Silaien after the referendum and its bloody preamble. Within days, these same Indonesian security forces were engaged in the deportation and, in some cases, the killing of East Timorese.[10] [edit] TeachingCurrently, Marker is teaching international relations for the Spring semester at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida (where he has been teaching since 1995[11]) and is Eckerd College's diplomat in residence.[12] He usually teaches a course on "Diplomacy in International Relations."[2] [edit] AwardsIn September 2004, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz named Jamsheed Marker as ambassador-at-large for his years of service.[12] [edit] Family backgroundAmbassador Marker is the son of Kekobad Ardeshir Marker and Meherbano Pestonji, the grandson of Ardeshir Marker, and the great-nephew of Peshotanji Dossabhai Marker. He currently married to Arnaz Minwalla.[12] He was earlier married to Diana Faridoon Dinshaw (d:1979) with whom he had two daughters, Niloufer and Feroza.[13] His niece is the Pakistani environmentalist, Aban Kabraji. His background is from the Parsi community of Pakistan. [edit] Published works
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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