Pakistan summons US diplomat over Kashmir characterisation

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the head of the US mission in Islamabad on Wednesday following remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. During a two-day visit to Srinagar and Ladakh, Gor described the territory as “an important part of India.” Islamabad rejected this characterisation, stating it contradicted Washington’s longstanding position that Kashmir is a disputed territory.

The visit marked the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, the year India stripped the region of its autonomy. Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia, made the comments publicly alongside Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He also indicated that Washington is reconsidering its “do not travel” advisory for the region, citing improved security under Abdullah’s administration.

In response, the Foreign Ministry summoned Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker to lodge a strong demarche. The statement described Gor’s remarks as factually incorrect and a negation of Washington’s historical stance. It reasserted Kashmir’s status as an internationally recognised disputed territory awaiting final disposition under United Nations Security Council resolutions. The demarche also thanked President Trump for his offer to help resolve the Kashmir question, urging Washington to maintain consistent public language.

Analysts characterised the incident as a diplomatic misstep rather than a shift in official US policy. Jauhar Saleem, Pakistan’s former foreign secretary, noted that US policy on such consequential issues cannot be read from off-the-cuff formulations by an ambassador posted in India. He described the remark as an example of “localitis,” where diplomats make comments out of line with their country’s stated policy to please hosts.

Saleem emphasised that any change in policy would be reflected in formal statements from the State Department or the White House. He added that the Pakistan-US relationship is too broad-based for a single remark to unsettle it, pointing to cooperation in counterterrorism, regional security, and Afghanistan. Tariq Rashid Khan, a former Pakistani military general and diplomat, described the protest as issue-specific boundary-setting, signalling that a close strategic partnership with Washington does not mean acceptance of positions contrary to Pakistan’s stated view on Kashmir.

The US has officially maintained that Kashmir is disputed and its status should be settled between India and Pakistan, taking into consideration the wishes of the Kashmiri people. American officials have repeated that their policy has not changed across successive administrations. In 2019, a senior US diplomat told Congress that India’s move had not altered Washington’s view of the Line of Control as a “de facto” boundary.