Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said the US Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was summoned and a strong protest was lodged over what it called factually incorrect remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to the region.
Pakistan dismissed Gor’s description of Jammu and Kashmir as a “part of India”, alleging that the region is an internationally recognised “disputed” territory whose final status should be determined in accordance with relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The ministry said the ambassador’s remarks were inconsistent with what it described as the longstanding US position on the Kashmir “dispute” and Washington’s stated commitment to international law and the UN Charter.
While referring to US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue after Operation Sindoor, the ministry urged Washington to ensure that its public statements reflected what it described as the “disputed” status of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The U.S. Charge d’ Affaires in Islamabad was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and a strong demarche was lodged over the factually incorrect remarks of U.S. Ambassador to India, regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir,” the ministry said in a statement.
It mentioned, “Pakistan strongly condemned and categorically rejected the characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a “part of India”. It was underscored that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory, awaiting final disposition in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
The ministry alleged the US ambassador’s remarks were at odds with what it described as Washington’s “long-standing and well- documented position of the United States on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, and also ran contrary to the United States’ commitment to supremacy of international law and the UN Charter”.
“While appreciating President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate between India and Pakistan to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in the aftermath of Marka-e-Haq, the U.S. side was urged to ensure that its public statements remain consistent with the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,” the ministry added.
Ex Pak envoy slams Gor
Former ambassador to the US Masood Khan slammed Gor’s remarks in Srinagar, claiming they reflected a “lack of understanding” of Jammu and Kashmir’s history and the current situation.
Khan said Gor should have been briefed on the US’ stated policy on Kashmir and the UN Security Council resolutions concerning the “dispute” before his visit. He alleged that Jammu and Kashmir remains on the Security Council’s agenda and that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) continues to operate in the region.
Khan further claimed that the future of Jammu and Kashmir should be determined by its people in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions.
What Gor said in Srinagar
In , Gor told reporters on Wednesday that was an important part of India and described it as an exceptionally beautiful place.
During his visit, Gor also took a shikara ride on the famous Dal Lake and said the US would review its travel advisories for J&K, citing steps taken by the Centre and Chief Minister to improve safety in the region.
“This is an important part of India and so I’m here visiting for the first time. It’s an incredibly beautiful place, and so I’m thrilled to be here, thrilled to see this place. We had a very good meeting, and we have some follow-ups that we’ll take back to Washington, back to Delhi. But, a very warm, very cordial, and we look forward to building this relationship forward,” ANI quoted him as saying.
The US envoy said “incredible steps” had been taken to make Jammu and Kashmir “more safe” and indicated that Washington would review its travel advisory for the region. The US currently has a Level 4 “do not travel” advisory in place for Jammu and Kashmir.
“The United States puts out travel warnings and every so often we re-evaluate those travel warnings. I cannot make any big announcements here today, but it is something that we are going to look at. New Delhi, the Chief Minister here, the Government here–we believe have made some incredible steps to keeping this area safer and making it more safe,” Gor stated.
“So, we will be looking at if the travel warning that is imposed… is something that should be downgraded. This is a beautiful area, I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty and opportunity that exists here,” he added.
