Masood Khan () is a Pakistani-Kashmiri diplomat who is currently serving as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States. Khan also served as the 27th

President of Azad Kashmir The Pakistan-administered state of Azad Kashmir was officially established on 24 October 1947. The president is the constitutional head while the prime minister is the chief executive of the state. The president elected by the Azad Jammu and Kash ...

. Khan joined the

Foreign Service of Pakistan The Foreign Service of Pakistan ( ur, ) is part of the Central Superior Services of Pakistan. It was formally created in October 1952, after having been an improvised organization since the creation and independence of Pakistan in 1947. Its o ...

in 1980. From August 2003 to March 2005, he served as the Spokesperson of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

, Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2005 to 2008, Pakistan's Ambassador to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

between September 2008 and September 2012 and as Pakistan's

Permanent Representative to the United Nations A permanent representative to the United Nations (sometimes called a "UN ambassador")"History of Ambassadors", United States Mission to the United Nations, March 2011, webpagUSUN-a. is the head of a country's diplomatic mission to the United Nati ...

, New York, between October 11, 2012 and February 7, 2015.Masood Khan Pakistan envoy to China
The Nation (newspaper), Published 13 September 2008, Retrieved 13 November 2018 He served as the Director General of

Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad The Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), () is a strategic studies think tank based in Islamabad, Pakistan established in 1973. It is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. Its most famous member is the nationalis ...

between February 2015 and August 4, 2016.

Early life and diplomatic career

Khan was born in

Rawalakot Rawalakot ( ur, ) is the capital of Poonch district in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in the Pir Panjal Range. History Along with Pallandri, Rawalakot was the focal point of the 1955 Poonch uprising. It was led by the local Sudhans ...

, Poonch District of Azad Kashmir to an elite

Sudhan Sudhans (also known as Sudhozai Pathans) is one of the major tribes from the districts of Poonch, Sudhanoti, Bagh and Kotli in Azad Kashmir, allegedly originating from Pashtun areas. History and particulars The tribe claims an Afghan ancestry. ...

family. When he was in his twenties, he worked as a TV newscaster in English. Khan holds a master's degree in English and joined the

in 1980. His foreign assignments include: Third Secretary in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

(1984–1986), Second Secretary and First Secretary at

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

(1986–1989) and Counselor at United Nations

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(1993–1997) and Political Counselor in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

(1997–2002). His assignments at the

include: section officer for Europe, Iran and South Asian countries (1980–1982), director for

Economic Cooperation Organization The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is an Asian political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985 in Tehran by the leaders of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve de ...

, Overseas Pakistanis and International Conferences (1990–1991), director for Secretary General's office (1991–1992), director-general for East Asia and Pacific (2002–2003), director-general for United Nations and

Organisation of the Islamic Conference An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

(2003–2004) and spokesman for Pakistan Foreign Office (2003–2005). Masood Khan retired as a career diplomat in 2015.

Ambassadorial career

Masood Khan was appointed as Pakistan's permanent representative to

United Nations Office at Geneva The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG, french: Office des Nations Unies à Genève) in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the four major offices of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The main UNOG ...

in March 2005. During this time, he stayed as chairman for many forums including

International Organization for Migration The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations agency that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees, and migrant workers. The IOM was ...

Council,

Group of 77 The Group of 77 (G77) at the United Nations (UN) is a coalition of 134 developing countries, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 fou ...

at Geneva, Government Group of

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...

(ILO), Conference on Disarmament and

at Geneva. He also served as the President for the Sixth Review Conference of the Biological Toxins and Weapons Convention. In September 2008, Masood Khan was appointed as Pakistan's Ambassador to

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

replacing

Salman Bashir Salman Bashir ( ur, سلمان بشیر ) (born 4 March 1952) is a Pakistani diplomat who served as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and as the High Commissioner of Pakistan to India.Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...

. In October 2012, he was appointed as Pakistan's

, New York.Masood Khan elected as President of AJK
The Nation (newspaper), Published 16 August 2016, Retrieved 13 November 2018 In 2022, Khan started serving as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Masood Living people Ambassadors of Pakistan to China Ambassadors of Pakistan to Mongolia Ambassadors of Pakistan to the United States Permanent Representatives of Pakistan to the United Nations Pahari Pothwari people People from Rawalakot Azad Kashmiri politicians Year of birth missing (living people)