ISLAMABAD: Pakistan summoned the US chargé d’affaires in Islamabad and protested “factually incorrect remarks” by the US ambassador to India regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to the Indian-administered part of the region, the Pakistani foreign office said on Wednesday.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s remarks on Wednesday describing Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India” were quickly headlined and interpreted by Indian media and analysts as a statement backing New Delhi’s claim to the disputed region.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between the South Asian neighbors since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries claim the region in full, and have fought multiple wars over its control.
Pakistan’s foreign office said on Wednesday that it had summoned US Chargé d’ Affaires in Islamabad Natalie Baker and a “strong demarche was lodged over the factually incorrect remarks.”
“Pakistan strongly condemned and categorically rejected the characterization of Jammu and Kashmir as a ‘part of India’,” the foreign office said.
“It was underscored that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory, awaiting final disposition in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.”
The foreign office said that it had highlighted that the “irresponsible statement by the US Ambassador negated the long-standing and well-documented position” of the United States on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and 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 US side was urged to ensure that its public statements remain consistent with the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir,” it added.
The statement was a reference to a four-day military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors last year over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi blamed the assault that killed 26 tourists on Pakistan-backed militants, an allegation denied by Islamabad.
Pakistan credited Trump with helping secure the ceasefire, while India maintained that the cessation of hostilities was negotiated directly between the two militaries.
