ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has decided to appoint former Azad Jammu and Kashmirpresident, Masood Khan, as new envoy to the United States, local mediareported.
Reports cited that the former Kashmiri diplomat would replace Dr. AsadMajeed Khan – who is the head of the country’s mission to Washington forthe last two years.
A summary in this regard has been finalized and if confirmed, Khan wouldreplace Asad Majeed whose term will expire in January 2022. The incumbentauthorities reportedly decided not to extend Asad Majeed’s tenure.
PM Office will make a formal announcement about the selection of Masoodlater this week. Meanwhile, a Foreign Office spokesperson said there was noconfirmation of the development yet.
The government reportedly opted to appoint a retired representative insteadof sending someone who is already in the Foreign Service for thechallenging diplomatic assignment.
Masood, who joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1980, became the AJKpresident has been advancing the case for the longstanding Kashmir disputewith India. He has vast experience in multilateral diplomacy and has been afrequent negotiator for the South Asian country.
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He also served as the ambassador to China as well as a permanentrepresentative to the UN and remained a representative of the ForeignOffice.
Meanwhile, Khan is getting the coveted post at a time when Pakistan and theUS are facing an uncertain future as there is no clarity about therelationship between the two sides since Taliban takeover.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden nominated a new ambassador to Pakistan,Donald Armin Blome, an expert on Middle East affairs. He is currently theUS ambassador to Tunisia.
