Who Is Jawed Ashraf, Rumoured To Be The Next Deputy National Security Advisor?

The recent rumours of Jawed Ashraf, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, being in the fray for the Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) role have created a furore in some circles.

These rumours have their genesis in a report from The Tribune that reported potential shuffling in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The report stated that IFS officer Jawed Ashraf might be appointed as Deputy NSA in place of Vikram Misri, who, in turn, will be appointed as Foreign Secretary, replacing the current Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, who might be appointed as India's Ambassador to the US.

However, the rumours of Ashraf becoming Deputy NSA have created an outrage due to the various associations of Ashraf's family.

The diplomat is married to Ghazala Shahabuddin, the daughter of Syed Shahabuddin of the Babri Masjid Action Committee, which spearheaded a public campaign and legal battle to protect the disputed structure at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. He was an IAS officer himself and took volunteer retirement in late 1970s to join politics.

But who is Jawed Ashraf? Here is everything you need to know about him.

Ambassador Ashraf, a 1991 batch IFS officer, was earlier India's Ambassador to Singapore and was appointed envoy to France, a key strategic ally of India, in 2020.

He served in Frankfurt and Berlin from 1993 to 1999. He thereafter worked at the Americas Division of the Ministry of External Affairs between 1999 to 2004.

He completed a three-year tenure as Counsellor at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu in 2007. From 2007 to 2010, he served in the Indian embassy in Washington DC following which he headed the Americas Division from 2010 to 2012.

A US expert, Ashraf is the lead negotiator for the DRDO-Safran 110 KN fighter jet engine programme. He was also part of a core group that pushed for India's admission to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) against China's stiff objection.

Ashraf has also served in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) during PM Narendra Modi's first term, where he is supposed to have written many key speeches for the PM.