According to official sources, Chief Justice Azad Jammu and Kashmir Justice Muhammad Azam Khan administered the oath at AJK Legislative Assembly.

On this occasion, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, former AJK President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Federal Minster for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, Speaker AJK Legislative Assembly Shah Ghulam Qadir, AJK cabinet ministers and high-ranking civil and military officials also attended the ceremony.

Khan was elected as the 23rd President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month after winning AJK Legislative Assembly elections.

Nominated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, he grabbed at least 42 votes against six votes of the Pakistan People’s Party candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar.

Khan replaced Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob who retired today following the completing of his five-year constitutional term.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Muslim Conference had boycotted AJK presidential elections.

 

Masood Khan’s Profile

A former diplomat, Muhammad Masood Khan has served Pakistan on various ambassadorial positions worldwide.

He joined the Foreign Service in 1980 and went on to serve in various diplomatic positions including Beijing (China), The Hague (Netherlands), New York and Washington D.C. (United States).

Khan also served as Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesperson of from August 2003 to March 2005, as an Ambassador to China between September 2008 and September 2012, and as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations between October 11, 2012, and February 07, 2015.

He has also served as the Director General of Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad.