Masood Khan, the departing Pakistani ambassador to the US, urged persistent efforts to improve ties between the US and Pakistan despite sporadic ups and downs on Sunday.
On Friday, Pakistan made the decision to remove Khan and designate Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh as the Additional Foreign Secretary (Middle East and SIFC) and envoy to the US.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Horst of the United States commended Khan for his contributions to establishing “bridges between Islamabad and Washington” during a goodbye luncheon held on Friday in honor of the departing Pakistani envoy.
“On behalf of the State Department, let me just say that, thanks in large part to Ambassador Masood Khan’s efforts on behalf of Pakistan, to foster understanding and mutual understanding, the US-Pakistan relationship is at its best point in years.
Like any long-term partnership, there has been friction in the connections between the two countries, the US official representing the State Department said. However, “because of you, we know how we can talk through this and we have a framework to talk through friction”, she added.
The US Department of State granted Khan accreditation to serve as ambassador to Washington in February 2022. In November 2021, Imran Khan, who was prime minister at the time, nominated him for the position.
“A robust relationship between our two nations is work in progress, backed by a history of nearly 77 years,” stated Khan in his departure statement.
