Why is India worried about Masood Khan’s appointment?

In Blog, Human Security
February 28, 2022
Mahnoor Islam
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The India-Pakistan struggle and disagreements over Kashmir have once again been highlighted after Pakistan nominated Masood Khan as the new ambassador to the United States in November. Many have said that Indian lobby groups and a Republican Congressman are the reason why Masood Khan’s induction had been delayed. Masood Khan’s appointment came as a worry

The India-Pakistan struggle and disagreements over Kashmir have once again been highlighted after Pakistan nominated Masood Khan as the new ambassador to the United States in November. Many have said that Indian lobby groups and a Republican Congressman are the reason why Masood Khan’s induction had been delayed. Masood Khan’s appointment came as a worry for India as Masood Ali Khan was the previous president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Now that he is appointed as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, there is a possibility that India may no longer be able to push its own propaganda in front of the US and the rest of the world.

Masood Khan has been a very vocal critic of India’s activities in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). While the entire world remains blind to India’s atrocities in the region, with Masood Ali Khan’s appointment, Pakistan should be able to share the true narrative regarding Kashmir.

Besides Masood Khan’s ties with Kashmir, are there any other reasons why India may be so paranoid about Masood Khan’s appointment? India has enjoyed much better ties with the US than Pakistan but India is perhaps worried that given his successful career as a diplomat, the Pak-US relationship may be on its way to becoming stronger, which will be a disadvantage for India.

As the war on terror broke out in 2001, India used the opportunity to malign Pakistan’s image. It used IIOJK and showed the world that it was Pakistan sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir. India also signed several important military, political, and economic agreements with the US. Its relationship with the US is also the reason why the Kashmir issue has not been given the attention that it deserves.

Furthermore, Khan is an ardent supporter of Pakistan-US relations and believes that strong relations with the US are going to help Pakistan in areas of trade, tech, education, and other sectors. He is influential and has worked closely with American diplomats which can be worrying for India. India has always tried to get Washington on its side. India’s strategy regarding Pakistan is to isolate it. It has tried time and again to portray Pakistan as a terrorist-sponsoring country. India, particularly PM Modi has managed to get away with not only Kashmir but also its treatment of minorities. Now with Masood Khan’s appointment, the tables could turn and India could be exposed badly.

India stated that Masood Khan had ‘links with terrorist organizations’. This once again exposes India’s malicious disinformation campaigns and propaganda against Pakistan through fabricated allegations. Such allegations are baseless as Masood Ali Khan is already an accomplished diplomat having served as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations among other designations.

Masood Khan’s appointment also comes at a very important time when Pakistan and the US are trying to rebuild and transform their relationship after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The US State Department has also termed Pakistan as a strategic partner. While Indian lobbying does seem to play a critical role, the future of the relationship between teh two has yet to be determined. We can hope that with Masood Khan’s appointment, both states enjoy a more stable relationship.

This is not the first time India has lobbied against Pakistan and it is certainly not the last time. It is a step in the right direction that India’s disinformation campaign against Masood Khan and Pakistan was unsuccessful as the US went on to approve Masood Khan’s appointment. Both Pakistan and the US can greatly benefit from a strong relationship, especially regarding the stabilization of Afghanistan, counterterrorism and, economic and trade ties. However, both countries also need to be vigilant and not let external interferences spoil their relationship.