Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan’s current representative to Geneva, is being viewed as a promising contender for succeeding Masood Khan in the capacity of Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States.
Reports suggest that the coalition government of Pakistan is contemplating the appointment of a fresh ambassador to the United States, led by the initiative of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He has recently asked for a brief detailing the potential successors to Ambassador Khan.
This move comes on the heels of ongoing deliberations about recalling Ambassador Khan. Once the discussion was concluded, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was instructed to compile a list of likely candidates, as mentioned in the reports citing reliable sources.
The final decision will be made once Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari returns from his trip to Japan.
Masood Khan’s Diplomatic Career
The formal approval for appointing Sardar Masood Khan as the ambassador to the United States was granted by Washington in February 2022. This happened a few months after he was nominated for the role by the then Prime Minister, Imran Khan.
Masood Khan’s association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began in 1980, holding various positions before being promoted to the office of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) president in 2016. This was a decision by the then governing party, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz.
Known as an outspoken supporter of integrating Kashmir into Pakistan, Masood has brought international attention to the plight of the people in Kashmir. He has called for an efficient strategy to end the ongoing crisis in the region.
He was the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between August 2003 and March 2005. Following this, he served as Pakistan’s ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2005 to 2008.
Furthermore, Masood represented Pakistan as the ambassador to China from September 2008 to September 2012 and later served as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York between October 11, 2012, and February 7, 2015.
