Jamsheed Marker

Jamsheed Kekobad Ardeshir Marker, HI, (b: 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".citation|last=Martin|first=Susan Taylor|chapter=Militants on run, Pakistan says|title=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=October 29, 2002|edition=South Pinellas, p. 2A.] 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".citation|last=Martin|first=Susan Taylor|chapter=Call came to Tampa Bay for help in East Timor|title=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=September 22, 1999|edition=South Pinellas, p. 1A.]

Career

According 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.citation|last=Martin|first=Susan Taylor|chapter=Call came to Tampa Bay for help in East Timor|title=St. Petersburg Times| location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=September 22, 1999|edition=South Pinellas, p. 1A.] Marker has since represented Pakistan in the United Nations, the former Soviet Union, Canada, East Germany, Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and other countries. He became Ambassador to the United States in 1986 and is said to have helped "negotiate" the Soviet military withdrawal from Afghanistan.citation|title=Jamsheed K.A. Marker|author=Eckerd College Faculty Directory|publisher=Eckerd College|location=St. Petersburg, FL|url=http://www.eckerd.edu/academics/irga/faculty/marker.php]

He has also served as United Nations Under-secretary General, as a special advisor to United Nations ex-Secretary-General Kofi Annan,citation|title=Turning LoC into border not to solve Kashmir issue: Marker|author=Pakistan Newswire |publisher=PN|location=Karachi|date=October 30, 2004] 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.citation|last=Martin|first=Susan Taylor|chapter=How the U.N. got one right|title=St. Petersburg Times| location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=August 15, 2004|edition=South Pinellas, p. 4P.] 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."citation|last=Martin|first=Susan Taylor|chapter=Call came to Tampa Bay for help in East Timor|title=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=September 22, 1999|edition=South Pinellas, p. 1A.] 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.'"citation|last=Martin|first=Susan Taylor|chapter=Call came to Tampa Bay for help in East Timor|title=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=September 22, 1999|edition=South Pinellas, p. 1A.]

The British journalist, Richard Lloyd Parry, in his book, "In the Time of Madness", [Lloyd Parry, Richard, "In the Time of Madness", Cape, 2005, p.254'] 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. [Lloyd Parry, Richard, "In the Time of Madness", Cape, 2005, p.254']

In September 2004, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz named Jamsheed Marker as ambassador-at-large for his years of service.citation|last=Park|first=Mary Jane|chapter=Elegant in honor of Dali|title=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=March 18, 2007|edition=South Pinellas, p. 22.]

Currently, Marker is teaching international relations for the Spring semester at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida (where he has been teaching since 1995citation|last=Minai|first=Leanora|chapter=Eckerd instructor injured in car crash|title=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=August 29, 2001|edition=South Pinellas, p. 3B.] ) and is Eckerd College's diplomat in residence.citation|last=Park|first=Mary Jane|chapter=Elegant in honor of Dali|title=St. Petersburg Times| location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=March 18, 2007|edition=South Pinellas, p. 22.] He usually teaches a course on "Diplomacy in International Relations."citation|last=Martin|first=Susan Taylor|chapter=Call came to Tampa Bay for help in East Timor|title=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=September 22, 1999|edition=South Pinellas, p. 1A.]

Family background

Ambassador Marker is the son of Kekobad Ardeshir Marker and Meherbanoo Pestonji, the grandson of Ardeshir Marker, and the great-nephew of Peshotanji Dossabhai Marker. He currently married to Arnaz Minwalla.citation|last=Park|first=Mary Jane|chapter=Elegant in honor of Dali|title=St. Petersburg Times| location=St. Petersburg, FL|date=March 18, 2007|edition=South Pinellas, p. 22.] He was earlier married to Diana Faridoon Dinshaw (d:1979) with whom he had two daughters, Niloufer and Feroza. [Marker, Kekobad Ardeshir "A Petal from the Rose" Karachi 1985 vol II, Pg 240] His background is from the Parsi community of Pakistan.

Published works

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*

References

External links

;Interviews and Speeches
* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/jan-june98/pakistan_5-26.html PBS Newshour interview after India's nuclear tests; May 26, 1998]
* [http://www.aku.edu/news/majorevents/unambmark.shtml Ambassador Marker addresses AKU students] ;East Timor
* [http://www.un.org/peace/etimor99/photos/photos_bottom.htm United Nations peacekeeping in East Timor; Photographs]
* [http://www.un.int/usa/99al904.htm Statement of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box |title=Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
years=September 1986 - June 1989
before=Lt. Gen. Ejaz Azim| after=Zulfiqar Ali Khan

succession box |title=Pakistan Ambassador to the United Nations
years=September 1990 - March 1995
before=Sardar Shah Nawaz| after=Ahmad Kamal