Pakistani-American Dr Asif Mahmood named chair of key US Religious Freedom Commission

Pakistani-American physician Dr. Asif Mahmood has been unanimously elected Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), becoming the first Pakistani-American and the first South Asian to lead the independent federal advisory body.

Dr. Mahmood has been serving as USCIRF's Vice Chair and was reappointed for a second term in May 2026. Having served on the commission for more than two years, his current term runs through May 14, 2028.

Dr. Mahmood described the appointment as a great honor, noting that he is the first Pakistani, the first Muslim, and the first Asian to serve a second consecutive term in the commission's leadership.

Established by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 during the administration of President Bill Clinton, USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan advisory commission that provides policy recommendations to the White House, the U.S. State Department, and Congress on matters related to religious freedom around the world.

The commission consists of nine commissioners appointed by the U.S. President and congressional leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties. Dr. Mahmood's second appointment was made by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Dr. Mahmood, a Democrat, is widely viewed as an unusual choice to chair the commission during the Trump administration. His predecessor, Vicky Hartzler, served 13 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and seven years in the Missouri House of Representatives.

His appointment is also expected to draw attention in India, where his work on religious freedom has been closely followed. Last year, Dr. Mahmood contributed to a sharply critical USCIRF report on the treatment of religious minorities during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure.