Asad Majeed Khan

Asad Majeed Khan
Foreign Secretary of Pakistan
In office 2 December 2022 – 16 August 2023
President	Arif Alvi
Prime Minister	Anwar ul Haq Kakar
Preceded by	Sohail Mahmood
Succeeded by	Syrus Sajjad Qazi
Pakistan’s Ambassador to United States
In office 2019–2022
Preceded by	Ali Jehangir Siddiqui
Succeeded by	Masood Khan
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Japan
In office 2017–2019
Preceded by	Farukh Amil
Succeeded by	Imtiaz Ahmad
Personal details
Spouse	Zunaira Khan

Asad Majeed Khan is a Pakistani diplomat who served as Pakistan's Ambassador to United States from December 2022 to August 2023. He previously served as a Foreign Secretary of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Japan (2017–19) and Pakistan's Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union.

Ambassador Khan also served as Additional Foreign Secretary (Americas); Director General (Americas); Director General (West Asia); Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires ad interim to the United States; Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.; Additional Secretary (Foreign Affairs) at the President’s Secretariat; Director General (United Nations); and Minister-Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations.

Ambassador Khan holds a Doctorate in International Economic and Business Law (LL.D.) from Kyushu University, Japan and has been a resource person at a number of academic institutions.

He is married and has two children.

Cypher Case with Imran Khan

In 2022, Asad Majeed Khan became a key figure in a high-profile political controversy in Pakistan involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The controversy, known as the "Cypher Case," revolved around a diplomatic cable sent by Ambassador Khan during his tenure as Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States. The cable allegedly contained a conversation that was interpreted by Imran Khan as evidence of a foreign conspiracy to oust him from office.

Imran Khan claimed that the cypher, which he publicly disclosed during a political rally, indicated that the United States was behind a plot to remove him from power through a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. This claim was based on the contents of the cable which reportedly conveyed a message from a senior U.S. official suggesting that Pakistan would face consequences if Imran Khan remained in office.

The release and interpretation of the cypher led to significant political turmoil in Pakistan, with debates over the validity and implications of the alleged foreign interference. Critics of Imran Khan accused him of using the cypher to create a narrative of external meddling for political gain, while his supporters viewed it as proof of a legitimate threat to Pakistan's sovereignty.

Asad Majeed Khan, who was responsible for drafting the cable, found himself at the center of the controversy. He maintained that the cable was a routine diplomatic communication and that its contents were misrepresented for political purposes. The case sparked widespread debate about the role of diplomatic communications in domestic politics and the potential consequences of their misuse.

This controversy remained a topic of discussion in Pakistani politics and media, contributing to the ongoing discourse about foreign influence and political integrity in the country.