Malawi envoy in Kuwait challenges his recall

Malawi’s Ambassador to Kuwait Younos Abdul Karim has obtained an interim stay order against his recall and filed for judicial review of the decision.

The court order comes at a time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has proceeded to advise the Kuwait Government about the envoy’s recall and the subsequent appointment of journalist-cum-politician Jona Pankuku as Malawi’s charge d’affaires.

Seeking justice: Karim. | Nation

According to court documents The Nation has seen, the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) granted Karim an interim order staying implementation of government’s decision, pending hearing and determination of his substantive claim against the decision.

The order, dated September 25 2026, stayed government’s September 14 decision recalling Karim by September 30 and hand over Head of Mission functions to Pankuku.

The court further ordered that Karim should continue to be treated as Malawi’s Ambassador to Kuwait and retain Foreign Service Allowance and other entitlements attached to the position pending determination of the matter.

“The respondent, whether by themselves, their servants or agents, are restrained from implementing the recall, from requiring handover of Head of Mission functions, from presenting or accrediting Mr Jonah Pankuku or any other person as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. in substitution for the applicant, and from treating September 2026 as the last month of Foreign Service Allowance by reason only of the decision stayed by paragraph I of this order,” reads the order granted by IRC chairperson Chris Nyimba.

The order also stops Pankuku, who had been designated to take over the mission’s functions, from presenting his papers as chargé d’affaires ad “interim in substitution for Karim”.

Karim filed the proceedings against the Attorney General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chief Secretary to the Government.

Karim’s lawyer Imran Liphar from Ritz Attorneys at Law said: “At the moment, I have no instructions from my client to speak to the press.”

But according to Note Verbale number 116/2026 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated September 29 2026, Malawi Government has notified the State of Kuwait about Pankuku’s appointment as chargé d’affaires with effect from September 21 2026 pending the departure of Karim.

“The mission further wishes to request the ministry for the farewell reception of Ambassador Karim,” reads the note.

A separate Note Verbale number 117/2026 also dated September 29 2026, notifies the Kuwait Government through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Protocol Affairs Department, about the conclusion of Karim’s duty as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentially of the Republic of Malawi to Kuwait.

The court has since directed Karim to file and serve an inter partes notice for continued hearing of the application within seven days.

Karim was appointed Malawi’s ambassador to Kuwait in 2022 by President Lazarus Chakwera but was recalled before being reappointed a in May this year.

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