SUNDAY TIMES ISLAMABAD: Dr Khan furnished his credentials in a ceremony at the White House on Saturday. The ambassadors of Afghanistan and India also presented their credentials along to the US president.
The new envoy had reached the US capital on Jan 8 to take helm of his new position. He is a career diplomat and was previously serving as Pakistan’s ambassador to Tokyo.
Prior to his appointment, Ali Jehangir Siddiqui was serving on this pivotal post in the US. Siddique was nominated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, days before its departure but served for more than seven months from May 9 to Dec 25, 2018.
Dr Khan is Pakistan’s 29th Ambassador to the United States. He served as Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires ad interim to the United States from May 2013 to Jan 2014 and as Deputy Chief of Mission from March 2012 to Sep 2015.
Former Pakistani ambassador, Senator Sherry Rehman, had welcomed the appointment of Dr Khan, adding that she strongly cheered this development. “He held the job for six months after I had resigned and even while I was serving, (he was) a stellar, upright and smart diplomat, able to move with the times and challenges.”