The United States has blocked the appointment of Masood Khan as the new Pakistani ambassador to Washington. His appointment is said to have been delayed due to concerns over his tenure as president of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Masood Khan was the President of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir from 2016 to 2021.
It is to be mentioned that last November, Masood Khan’s name was announced on behalf of Islamabad as the US Ambassador to Pakistan. Since then, however, his appointment has been blocked by Washington. Those familiar with the matter say the United States has not yet approved Masood’s appointment. Meanwhile, US Congressman Scott Perry recently wrote a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to block Masud’s appointment. Scott questioned Masood’s “democratic identity.” Scott also complained that Masood had been working against American interests for so long. The Republican member of the House of Representatives also mentioned in the letter that Masood was sympathetic to the anti-India militants.
Scott Perry recalls in his letter that Masood slammed the United States in 2016 when the United States imposed sanctions on Hizbul Mujahideen. In 2019, Masood stood by Fazlur Rahman Khalil, the founder of the militant group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and an international terrorist. Earlier, the US Treasury claimed that Khalil had links to al-Qaeda. Khalil also had close ties with Osama bin Laden.
Scott Perry also accused the Masuds of supporting a Pakistani diplomat called the Helping Hand for Relief and Development. The ‘Helping Hand for Relief and Development’ has been accused of helping Lashkar-e-Taiba. Lashkar-e-Taiba militants attacked Mumbai and killed 16 people. Scott Perry also fired at Imran Khan for trying to send Masood to Pakistan and America. Scott called Masood a “jihadi” and demanded that his appointment to Washington be “blocked” without delay.
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