Meet ‘JP sir’, the IFS officer who inspired John Abraham's ‘The Diplomat’

As John Abraham's ‘The Diplomat’ reaches masses with its OTT release on Netflix, the urge to know more about “JP sir,” who helped Uzma Ahmed return from Pakistan, has grown deeper too.

‘JP sir’, played by John Abraham in ‘The Diplomat’, is based on Indian Foreign Service (IFS) diplomat Jitender Pal Singh, who was the man behind solving the real-life crisis described in the movie.

Here's all to know about JP Singh

JP Singh, a 2002-batch diplomat, was appointed India's ambassador to Israel in January this year. The posting is seen as important given the current situation in the Middle East.

Previously, seasoned diplomat Singh served as the joint secretary in the crucial Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran (PAI) division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

As India's point person for Afghanistan, he played an important role in the execution of India's policy approach towards the Taliban set up in that country.

In November 2024, Singh met the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob and discussed ways to expand the relations between the two sides.

The meeting is believed to have paved the way for Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's talks with the Taliban regime's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Dubai later in December 2024.

Key designations over the years

• Third Secretary and Second Secretary at the Embassy of India in Designation(s) Moscow, Russia (2004-2006)
• First Secretary at the Embassy of India in Kabul, Afghanistan (2008-2012)
• Deputy High Commissioner of India to Pakistan (2014-2019)
• Consul General of India in Istanbul, Turkey (2019-2020)
• Joint Secretary (PAI) in the Ministry of External Affairs (2020)
• Chief of Staff to the External Affairs Minister (2024-2025)
• Ambassador of India to the State of Israel (2025)

During his time in Afghanistan, Indian embassy in Kabul faced two major terrorist attacks. Despite the risks, the diplomat remained at the forefront, working to maintain India’s diplomatic presence in the country.

As India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan, Singh played a crucial role in managing the often tense relations between the two nations.