Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Sardar Masood Khan, visited the White House to “meet and greet” President Joe Biden and have an official photograph with him, an established tradition here for newly appointed envoys, according to a press release issued by Pakistani embassy on Tuesday afternoon.
During the ceremony, the press release said, the US President and the Ambassador had a brief conversation on building a strong basis for moving the US-Pakistan ties forward.
Forty-six other ambassadors also were there to have official photograph with the President one by one, it was pointed out. They too had not been able to call on the President for more than a year because of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Sardar Masood Khan, Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, visited the White House to meet and greet President Joe Biden and have an official photograph with him which is an established tradition here in Washington D.C. @ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/DtJV59fgvk
— Pakistan Embassy US (@PakinUSA) June 14, 2022
The US government follows a tradition whereby after the appointment of new ambassadors to Washington, a ceremony is held at the White House where new envoys present their credentials to the head of state conforming to their appointment.
Sardar Masood Khan was sent to Washington on March 25, when the PTI government was still in power, but after former prime minister Imran Khan’s ouster on April 11, there was speculation that the change in Islamabad would also impact diplomatic appointments.
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Later, Pakistan’s envoy to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, explained that incumbent ambassadors continue to represent the country in foreign capitals unless specifically asked by the new government to return home. Neither Ambassador Khan nor Ambassador Akram was asked to do so.
On April 19, 2022, Ambassador Khan’s credentials were formally accepted by President Biden.
Since President Biden’s age, 79, makes him particularly vulnerable to the virus, the White House tried to minimise the president’s contact with others. Diplomatic sources in Washington earlier told that Covid-19 had also hit the credentials ceremony.
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Now, the White House processed all the documents and issues the necessary letters first and then invited an ambassador for the photo session.
APP with additional input by GVS News Desk