Masood Khan was nominated by the Muslim League (N) AJK as their Presidential candidate
MUZZAFARABAD – Seasoned diplomat and former Ambassador to China, Masood Khan, has been elected President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) by a vast majority during polling by joint electoral college comprising 55 members of AJK Legislative Assembly and AJK Council.
Masood Khan got 42 votes while Chaudhry Latif Akbar from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) received six votes. The polling started at the Lodging Hall of the AJK legislative assembly today and ended at 3 PM.
Seven members of the Kashmir Council and 48 members of the Azad Kashmir legislative assembly voted for the new President. Muslim Conference and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had boycotted the elections.
Masood Khan was nominated by the Muslim League (N) AJK as their Presidential candidate. Prime Minister AJK Raja Farooq Haider himself proposed the name of Masood Khan on behalf of his majority parliamentary party.
Masood Khan has thanked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his nomination and for having full confidence in him. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has appreciated the role of Masood Khan in highlighting the Kashmir cause during his various diplomatic assignments particularly during his tenure as Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on August 15 in Islamabad, Masood Khan said that he would work for the well-being and betterment of the people of AJK and would help in highlighting the just freedom cause of the Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Masood Khan is a veteran diplomat who served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to China between 2008 and 2012. He was Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 2012 and 2015. Mr. Khan also served as the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from August 2003 to March 2005. He is also a renowned broadcaster and was an English newscaster and a TV anchor in his twenties.