Staff Repoer
ISLAMABAD: Khalil Hashmi — Pakistan’s envoy to Geneva — has emerged as a strong candidate to replace Masood Khan as the country’s ambassador in Washington, media reported on Tuesday.
According to the publication, the coalition government is mulling appointing a new envoy to the US as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sought a summary of the proposed candidates to replace Khan.
The government had been holding consultations on calling back Ambassador Khan and after the process was completed, a summary of the proposed names was sought from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the report stated citing sources.
A decision in this regard would possibly be taken following the return of For-eign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is currently visiting Japan.
Washington had issued the agrément for the appointment of Sardar Masood Khan as ambassador to the US in February 2022, months after former prime minister Imran Khan nominated the diplomat for the post.
Khan had served the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in different capacities since 1980, before his elevation as the AJK president in 2016 by the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz government.
A vocal and strong advocate of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, Masood ef-fectively highlighted the sufferings of the oppressed Kashmiris that warrant an effective strategy to end the never-ending holocaust.
He also served as the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from August 2003 to March 2005, before becoming Pakistan’s ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organisa-tions in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2005 to 2008.
He was also Pakistan’s ambassador to China between September 2008 and September 2012 and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York, between October 11, 2012 and February 7, 2015.
