Pakistan-origin physician Asif Mahmood elected chair of US commission on religious freedom

Dr Asif Mahmood, a physician of Pakistani origin, has been elected as the chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

The commission is a bipartisan body of ​the US federal government that monitors religious freedom around the world and makes policy recommendations ⁠to the president, the secretary of state and the US Congress.

In a statement on Monday, USCIRF announced the unanimous election of Mahmood as the panel’s chair and of CeCe Heil as the vice chair for the 2026-27 term.

Mahmood is a practising pulmonologist, human rights advocate, and philanthropist, according to USCIRF.

“His global advocacy work and humanitarian interventions have helped save lives in crisis-stricken regions around the world, including Kashmir, Tigray, and other conflict zones,” the commission’s website states.

“As a two-term member of the Medical Board of California, Dr Mahmood fiercely advocates for patients’ rights and works to secure greater access to medical coverage for all communities,” USCIRF highlighted.

In a statement after his election, posted on the USCIRF’s website, Mahmood said, “Threats to international religious freedom are occurring every day, making USCIRF’s mandate to analyse and recommend policy solutions to the US government key to advancing religious freedom abroad.“

Separately, he posted on X: “It is a remarkable journey — from a small rural village in Pakistan to leading one of the world’s foremost bodies dedicated to defending freedom of religion or belief and shaping US foreign policy in accordance with human rights globally.”

The physician affirmed his commitment to “advocate for the rights of every person: those of all faiths and those who choose no faith at all”.

“Together, let us work toward a world where freedom of religion or belief, mutual respect, human dignity, and peaceful coexistence are protected for everyone,” he added.

Mahmood was first appointed to USCIRF by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) in 2024 and reappointed for a second term in 2026. He served as the commission’s vice chair during his previous term, and has been living in California since 1999, according to his website.

USCIRF, which Mahmood will now chair, had last month urged the US State Department to declare India a “country of particular concern”, citing its 2026 assessment and hearing over “ongoing, systematic, and egregious religious freedom conditions” in the country.

In 2025, the panel also highlighted that religious freedom conditions in Pakistan and India had deteriorated over the previous year. It called for sanctions against Pakistani officials and government agencies, as well as against India’s spy agency Research & Analysis Wing (RAW).

Mahmood has also contributed to efforts to garner support in the US for incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan, particularly during the previous Biden administration.

As part of these efforts, PTI supporters have arranged seminars and public meetings and hosted numerous fundraisers for congressional leaders and senators, with one such event in 2024 co-hosted by Mahmood for then-US vice president Kamala Harris.

Additional input from Reuters