Pakistan origin Fouzia Younis becomes first Muslim woman to head UK diplomatic mission

Islamabad: Pakistan-origin British diplomat Fouzia Younis has become the first Muslim woman in the UK to be appointed as head of her country’s consul general in Toronto.

Fouzia Younis, who is currently working as a senior British diplomat in Islamabad, will be leaving for Canada soon to take up her new role.

In a post on Twitter, she said: “Privileged to be appointed as His Majesty’s British Consul General to Toronto. Special moment as we think it’s the 1st time (but don’t have data) that a British Muslim woman has been appointed as Head of a Diplomatic Post. I won’t be the last.”

She also paid tribute to her late mother who “stood up for 18-year-old me to go to uni & waited at bus stops to walk me home through dark streets.”

Younis made history first when she was appointed director of communications at the British High Commission in Islamabad over three years ago.

Born in Birmingham to Pakistani parents, Fouzia Younis passed graduation and master’s from the Universities of Birmingham and Cambridge before joining the UK Foreign Service.