Pakistan plans to appoint its former foreign minister of state, Inamul Haq, as its next high commissioner to India if and when the two countries decide to normalise diplomatic relations.

Haq, who retired as foreign secretary last year before he was made minister of state, formed part of the inner ring of President Pervez Musharraf's foreign policy advisors.

A gentle and soft spoken diplomat, Haq is favoured by Musharraf to take over as high commissioner in New Delhi, local daily Dawn reported.

Besides being the foreign secretary, Haq has served as Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations and China.

The posts of high commissioners in both India's mission in Islamabad and Pakistan's mission in New Delhi fell vacant early last year following India's decision to recall its high commissioner Vijay Nambia from Pakistan to protest against Islamabad's reluctance to curb cross-border terrorism in the immediate aftermath of the attack on Parliament.

India also reduced the strength of its mission in Islamabad by 50 per cent and asked Pakistan to do the same.