Washington: In another appointment aimed at prioritizing the US's relations with India, the Donald Trump administration has tapped Paul Kapur, an expert on India-Pakistan security and nuclear issues, to be the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia. If confirmed, Kapur will become only the second Indian-descent US diplomat overseeing the South Asia bureau, which is tasked with managing diplomatic ties with India and the region.
"Paul Kapur of California to be Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs," a US press release stated. Kapur will replace Donald Lu, who oversaw the South Asia bureau during the Joe Biden regime.
A strong backer of close US-India relations and a harsh critic of Pakistan, Kapur was part of the US State Department's policy planning team on South Asia during Trump's first term as President.
An accomplished scholar and an author of several books specializing in South Asian politics, he currently serves as a professor in the US Naval Post Graduate School. He is also a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.
Among the notable books Kapur has authored include 'Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamist Militancy, National Security and the Pakistani State' and 'Dangerous Deterrent: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia'.
