WASHINGTOM, Feb 15: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reported to have appointed Marc Grossman, a former ambassador to Turkey, the new special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources confirmed Mr Grossman's appointment to Dawn and said the move showed that the Pak-Afghan region remained a top priority zone for the Obama administration.

Mr Grossman has 30 years of experience at the State Department and also worked at the US Embassy in Islamabad from 1976 to 1983.

He now is vice chairman of the Cohen Group, which advises international business clients on overseas enterprises and has several clients with contracts in South Asia. Former defence secretary William Cohen heads the consulting group.

The search for a new envoy began after the death of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke in December. Others on the short list reportedly included Strobe Talbott, John Podesta, Frank Wisner and Nicholas Burns.

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