Asif Mahmood | Pakistan

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,” ...