Former foreign secretary and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan passed away on Saturday in Lahore after a protracted illness. He was 89.

Khan was born in 1934 in India’s Bhopal and joined the foreign service in 1957. He served till his retirement as foreign secretary in 1994. He was the author of “The Begums of Bhopal”, “The Shallow Graves of Rwanda”, “Cricket: A Bridge of Peace”, and “ Bhopal Connections“.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condoled over Khan’s death who “served Pakistan with great distinction” both as a diplomat and the PCB chairman.

“He will be greatly missed,” Dar said and prayed to Allah to grant him a higher place in Jannah and solace to his family and friends.

The Foreign Office paid tribute to the ex-ambassador and high commissioner and honoured his “monumental services in protecting Pakistan’s diplomatic interests”.

In a post on X, Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Qazi said he was deeply saddened by Khan’s passing and lauded him as “one of Pakistan’s finest diplomats.”

Qazi said Khan left behind a “rich legacy of accomplishment and protecting and promoting Pakistan’s interests”.

He had earlier served as ambassador to Jordan and France as well as high commissioner to London.

From 1994 to 1996, he served in Rwanda as a special representative to the UN secretary general overseeing peacekeeping operations. A passionate cricketer, Khan had two stints as chairman, between 2003 and 2006 and then from 2014 to 2017.

Federal Interior Minister and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi was grieved by the death of Khan and remembered him as “a fine administrator” who served Pakistan cricket with “utmost dedication.”

“Pakistan Cricket will stay indebted to the late Shaharyar Khan for his commendable role as head of the board and for his services in the growth and development of the game in the country,” Naqvi added.