US Congressman: Reject Pakistan’s envoy-designate

Islamabad/Washington, Feb. 1: A US Congressman has urged President Joe Biden to reject Pakistan’s ambassador-designate Masood Khan’s diplomatic credentials and termed him a “bona fide terrorist sympathiser” working to undermine America’s interests in the region, saying he has encouraged young men to emulate jihadists and praised foreign terrorist organisations.

Khan, who has previously served as the president of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) until August last year, was nominated as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US in November.

Republican Congressman Scott Perry, in a letter to President Biden last week, expressed grave concern about the nomination of Khan as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States.

“(Pakistan Prime Minister) Imran Khan’s nomination of a bona fide terrorist sympathiser working to undermine our interests in the region, as well as the security of our Indian allies, can only be described as a breathtaking lack of judgment at best, and a demonstration of Islamabad's unmitigated contempt for the United States at worst,” he wrote. “While I am encouraged that the State Department has reportedly placed a pause on approving Masood Khan as the new ambassador from Pakistan, a pause is not enough. I urge you to reject any diplomatic credentials presented to you by Masood Khan and reject any effort by the Government of Pakistan to install this jihadist as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, said the Member of Congress 10th District, Pennsylvania.

In Islamabad, the Dawn newspaper reported that the US State Department has been taking unusually long to accept the nomination of Khan and the delay has triggered an impression of a pause in the process. The request for agreement for Masood Khan had been sent to the State Department in the second week of November, the report quoted a Pakistani diplomat as saying.