Who is Pakistan's Masood Khan: whom the US does not accept as ambassador, what is the jihadi connection?

New delhi date. Wednesday, January 02, 2022

There is a lot of talk these days about Pakistan's Masood Khan. The main reason for the debate is that Masood Khan has been declared ambassador to the US by Imran Khan's government but the US Joe Biden administration has been suspending his acceptance for two months. Due to which Pakistan is getting a lot of notoriety. Imran Khan had appointed Masood Khan as his ambassador to the US in November, but it is taking a long time to get his appointment approved. In fact, Republican lawmakers in the US have leveled serious allegations against Masood Khan.

"Masood Khan is a jihadist and a true supporter of terrorists," said Scott Perry, a Republican lawmaker in the United States, in a letter to US President Joe Biden. More than that, Masood Khan has harmed American interests as well as the security of our Indian allies. Therefore, Masood Khan's nomination should be canceled.

In fact, who is Masood Khan?

Masood Khan, 70, is a 1970 batch officer in Pakistan's foreign service. Masood Khan was born in Pakistan's illegally occupied Rawalkot and has been the President of Pakistan's illegally occupied Azad Kashmir from 2016 to 2021.

His first major post in the Pakistan Foreign Service began shortly after 9/11 when he was appointed spokesperson in the Pakistan Foreign Office. He has been very friendly with the press which has also been praised by Indian journalists. Pakistan has very few officers from illegally occupied Kashmir so they became very popular even in the Pakistani army.

He was soon appointed by the Musharraf government as Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva. He was appointed Pakistan's ambassador to China in 2008 by the government of Yusuf Raza Gilani. Four years later, he became Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN in New York. On his return to Pakistan, he was made President of Pakistan's illegally occupied Kashmir.

Anti-India Masood Khan

Masood Khan is known for his anti-India and sympathetic attitude towards terrorists. They have been seen opposing India's stand even when there was peace between India and Pakistan. He believes that India has occupied Pakistan while Pakistan itself does not officially consider Kashmir as its own.

Masood Khan, on the other hand, is mostly supportive of terrorists. Recently, he said that while America could talk to the one-time dangerous enemy, the Taliban, it should also pave the way for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who is being held in an American prison. Afia Siddiqui is known as Lady Al Qaeda. Masood Khan has also called Burhan Bani, a dangerous terrorist killed by the Indian Army, a hero.

He worked with China to thwart Indian efforts to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar at the UN. Imran Khan has chosen Masood Khan because of his anti-India and anti-Modi stance.