Pakistan on Tuesday appointed diplomat Sohail Mahmood high commissioner to India after his predecessor Abdul Basit (pictured above) announced his retirement before his tenure was scheduled to end, India Today reported. Local news reports alleged that Basit had expressed his disapproval over the government’s appointment of a junior officer.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has accepted Basit’s resignation. Basit was scheduled to retire in April 2018, The Nation reported.

In May, Islamabad had named Mahmood, who has never served in India, Basit’s successor, Mint had reported.