ISLAMABAD, May 8: Apparently stressed out after handling for more than a year one of the toughest overseas diplomatic assignments and failing to get enough support from Washington, US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has decided to quit his post, which he took over almost 18 months ago. Mr Munter announced his decision at a meeting with the embassy staff. Embassy spokesman Mark Stroh, while confirming the development, said: “He’ll be leaving this summer at the conclusion of his two years in the job.” Mr Stroh said the ambassador had been weighing the option of continuing for a third year, but decided against it. Pakistan is considered a hard posting station and while the normal tenure for any ambassador posted here is two years, the incumbent has the option of continuing for another year. Most of the previous ambassadors served here for three years, while quite a few left after two years. Wendy Chamberlain, who took over two days after 9/11, remained here for the shortest period and left before completing one year in office. No dates have been given by the embassy for Ambassador Munter’s planned departure, nor has any reason been officially disclosed for the envoy hastening his decision to call it a day. While the news about Mr Munter quitting took many by surprise, some of his interlocutors in the Pakistan government said they saw it coming. Mr Munter, a senior Pakistani official revealed, confided in him that he was not being kept in the loop by the State Department. His relations with the CIA haven’t been easy either. Another source said his working style was not much appreciated in Washington, where many thought that he was too soft towards the Pakistan government. It was also believed by many Obama administration officials that hardened positions in Islamabad were because of his failure to assert himself. Even if all of this may be assessment or observation of a few onlookers, Mr Munter has always been candid about his reservations regarding handling of the complicated bilateral ties. “What we have to do is to accept that we have habits and we have tendencies that don’t work for us, that stand in the way. This is precisely why we are always uncomfortable…,” the ambassador had said at the Institute of Strategic Studies almost a year ago. Mr Munter is said to have been opposed to continuation of drone attacks. When Mr Munter started as ambassador to Pakistan, he put a lot of focus on public diplomacy. His pictures offloading bags of food for flood victims from a US helicopter and enjoying traditional cuisine in Lahore’s food street became icons of his public diplomacy endeavours that shortly afterwards got derailed because of the incidents of 2011. However, Mr Munter will be credited for handling the testy relations during one of the most crucial phases when they perpetually looked to be teetering on the verge of a complete rupture. One story that will largely remain untold is that job stress was taking heavy toll on his health. His doctors, whom he had been regularly consulting over the past few months, according to a source, too had advised him against continuing in the tough Islamabad job for long. Naming his replacement would be a long process. But, media reports say Richard Olson, currently director development and economic affairs at the US embassy in Kabul could be the new man in Islamabad. A source speculated that it could be James B. Cunningham, currently deputy ambassador in Kabul. But, it looks certain that Mr Munter’s successor would be from the set of 5 ‘ambassadors’ the US is having in Afghanistan.