The U.S. Department of State has appointed Mary Kabir-Seraj Bischoping as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asian Affairs, responsible for matters related to Afghanistan.
According to the department’s announcement, Ms. Bischoping will also simultaneously hold responsibilities within the Office of Security and Transnational Affairs.
She previously served on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, where she was responsible for the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia. Her prior work also includes leading oversight investigations into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
It is worth noting that The New York Times reported in 2019 that Mary Kabir-Seraj Bischoping is the granddaughter of Enayatullah Khan, the brother of former Afghan King Amanullah Khan.
However, the U.S. Department of State made no reference to her family background in its announcement.
Ms. Bischoping holds a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Virginia and has previously worked in the Office of the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State.
