Islamabad on 26 November 2025 hosted the seventh annual Global Ambassador Awards, a ceremony recognising the achievements of heads of diplomatic missions, offices of international organisations and business representatives for 2025. The event was organised by The Diplomatic Insight, part of the Diplomatic Insight Group, in collaboration with the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies.
Among the distinguished guests were H.E. Murtaza Solangi, Spokesperson to the President of Pakistan, and H.E. Huzaifa Rehman, Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, whose presence underscored the ceremony’s importance to Pakistan’s diplomatic community.
This year introduced a new category, Ambassador of the Year, with nominees identified through comprehensive surveys of Pakistan’s political, official, diplomatic, business and academic circles. The selection process aimed to reflect views across Islamabad’s broad professional landscape.
Following those assessments, the title Ambassador of the Year was awarded to H.E. Yerzhan Kistafin, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, in recognition of his substantial contribution to strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan. The diplomatic corps in Islamabad comprises more than 120 missions and international offices, and Ambassador Kistafin was the sole head of mission to receive this distinction in 2025.
Ambassador Kistafin had previously been honoured at the Global Ambassador Awards in 2022, a repeat recognition that highlights continued engagement by the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Pakistan. He expressed gratitude to Muhammad Asif Noor, Head of the Diplomatic Insight Group, and Ms. Farhat Asif, Director of the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, for their acknowledgement of the Embassy’s efforts.
The award reflects growing diplomatic momentum between Islamabad and Nur Sultan and offers local observers a marker of active bilateral cooperation acknowledged by Pakistan’s diplomatic and policy circles. The Ambassador of the Year recognition is expected to further reinforce institutional ties and public diplomacy initiatives between the two countries.
