Pakistan summoned the United States’ top diplomat in Islamabad after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described Indian-administered Kashmir as “an important part of India” during his first visit to the territory.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry rejected the wording, reaffirmed Kashmir as disputed territory and lodged what it called a “strong demarche”. The episode has exposed the sensitivity of US language as Washington manages ties with both Pakistan and India.
What happened during the visit
Gor, who is also President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia, spent two days in Srinagar and Ladakh. His trip was the first standalone visit by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, when India removed the territory’s autonomy.
Speaking publicly alongside Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Gor said he was thrilled to visit “an important part of India”. He also said Washington was reconsidering its “Do Not Travel” advisory for Jammu and Kashmir, citing improved security under Abdullah’s administration. The advisory still places the territory at that level because of terrorism and civil unrest, while exempting Ladakh and Leh.
Why Islamabad objected
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker, who heads the US mission in Islamabad, on the same Wednesday evening. It said Gor’s characterisation was factually incorrect and contradicted Washington’s longstanding position.
Pakistan says Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory whose final status remains unresolved under United Nations Security Council resolutions. India and Pakistan each administer part of the Himalayan region, claim it in full and have fought several wars over it. A 1949 UN Security Council resolution called for a plebiscite, which has never been held.
Does the remark change US policy?
The United States has historically said Kashmir is disputed and that its status should be settled by India and Pakistan while taking account of the wishes of Kashmiri people. Washington has formally avoided recognising sovereignty over the territory for either country.
Jauhar Saleem, a former Pakistani foreign secretary, said an ambassador’s off-the-cuff wording should not be read as a policy change. He said any shift would need to appear in formal Washington or State Department statements, or at White House level. Aizaz Chaudhry, a former Pakistani ambassador to the US, likewise described the remarks as possibly personal and said the demarche was a reminder to follow the established US position.
What it means for Pakistan-US relations
The protest is not necessarily a broader rupture. Saleem said a demarche is intended to press a point and seek an explanation, rather than primarily punish the other government. He argued that the relationship includes economic cooperation, counterterrorism, regional security, Afghanistan, defence cooperation and Pakistan’s role in US-Iran relations.
Former Pakistani general and diplomat Tariq Rashid Khan called the episode “issue-specific boundary-setting”. Pakistan’s response signals that closer strategic ties with Washington do not mean accepting language on Kashmir that conflicts with Islamabad’s position. The source material does not report a US clarification after the protest.
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