Ishmael traces his ancestry back to what are now the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
He last served as Guyana's ambassador to Kuwait, having been appointed to that post in January 2011.
Previously, he also served as ambassador to Venezuela (November 2003-January 2011) and to the United States (June 1993–October 2003) and as Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) (June 1993–October 2003).
In 2009, he was elected to a one-year term as Chairman of the Latin American Council, the political governing body of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela.
Summit of the Americas Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)