On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan announced that the U.S. has accepted the appointment of the new envoy of Islamabad to Washington DC. The clearance of Masood Khan, former President of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, has taken an unusually long time since it was first proposed by Pakistan in November 2021. The post of the Ambassador in the U.S. is usually reserved for the topmost diplomats of Pakistan that includes figures like Jamsheed Marker and Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, and the delay from the U.S. raised eyebrows. Pakistan had hinted that India was exerting influence over the State Department, causing the delay.
On Thursday, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi described the allegation as “preposterous”. The controversy, however, had a reflection in a campaign by the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), a U.S.-based organisation involved in campaigning on issues that matter to India. In a statement, the FIIDS pointed out a series of factors from the past that reflected the ideological and political leanings of Mr. Khan, indicating that he harbours a “soft spot for Jihadi terrorists”.
The allegation appeared relevant in the backdrop of a recent hostage crisis in a Jewish place of worship in Texas. The hostage taker had reportedly sought the release of Afiya Siddiqui, the 49-year-old Pakistani scientist, who was jailed for 86 years in 2010 for plotting the murder of American soldiers in Afghanistan. The hostage taker was killed by the law enforcement personnel but the incident brought the focus back to the Siddiqui case.
Support for Islamists
Siddiqui's release has often been sought by the radical wings among the Islamists, and the FIIDS pointed out that Mr. Khan had publicly voiced his support for her release. On May 7, 2020, as the U.S. troops were preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan as part of a deal the Trump administration signed with the Taliban, Mr. Khan had put out a tweet with a photograph of Siddiqui, and said: “The U.S. Government can find a way to free Aafia Siddiqui. Washington has negotiated a peace deal with the Taliban, once considered inveterate enemies. Room must now be created for Aafia’s freedom. Long overdue. Will be a bonanza for winning hearts and minds.” The FIIDS also accused Mr. Khan of having sympathy for terror outfits like Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and said he had shared a stage with Fazl-ur Rahman Khalil, the founder of HuM, which is an internationally proscribed terror outfit.
The post of the Ambassador is usually occupied by career diplomats and Masood Khan comes with both diplomatic and political experiences. He served as the President of PoK between August 2016 and August 2021, and had also served Pakistan at the UN as its Permanent Representative and as Ambassador in Beijing. He had made several controversial comments about the developments in Kashmir, especially after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. PoK comprises the western part of Kashmir, which has been under Pakistani control since the conflict of 1947.
It has a self governing stature within the federation of provinces in Pakistan. Islamabad claims that PoK is “independent”, though that status is not reflected within Pakistan.
Mr. Khan, as the ‘President’ of the region, had described the present Indian government as “fascist” and praised slain militant Burhan Wani as a hero. His appointment was also opposed by U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, who urged the Biden administration to pause the process of appointment of Mr. Khan, citing his “bona fide” soft spot for jihadist ideologies.
Campaign on Kashmir
In the past, he had been photographed with the Pakistani-American lobbyist Ghulam Nabi Fai, who has often courted controversy for his campaign on Kashmir in Washington DC. Mr. Khan is expected to take up his new assignment soon as the tenure of the current Pakistan Ambassador, Asad Majeed Khan, ends.
The Ambassador-designate’s new responsibilities in Washington may include careful balancing of international concerns as the Afghanistan situation is yet to stabilise since the Taliban takeover of the country following the withdrawal of U.S. forces last year.
