Ambassador (r) Syed Abrar Hussain is a senior diplomat, author, and Pakistan’s former special secretary, ministry of foreign affairs. In a period spanning over thirty-five years, he served in Kuwait (1987-1989), Jeddah (1993-1995), Prague (1995-1997), Kandahar (1999-2001), Beirut (2001-2002) and Brunei (2005-2006) in various capacities. He remained Pakistan’s ambassador to Nepal (2008-2011), Kuwait (2013-2014), and Afghanistan, where he first served as a Counsel General in Kandahar during the Taliban regime (1999-2001). Thirteen years later, he was appointed as an ambassador of Pakistan in Kabul in 2014. He finally retired as a Special Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018.

Hussain had been associated with IPS since 2019 as a senior research associate and then a member of the board of governors. In 2021, he was appointed as the Institute’s Vice Chairman (Academics).

IPS Press has published his memoirs of the diplomatic service in Afghanistan.