Pakistan summons top US diplomat after envoy's Kashmir remarks

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the top United States diplomat in Islamabad on Wednesday after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described Indian-administered Kashmir as "an important part of India" during a visit to the territory. Islamabad rejected the remark and restated its position that Kashmir remains a disputed territory. The episode has added a new strain to already delicate ties between Washington, Islamabad and New Delhi.

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The summons came hours after Gor's comments, which were made publicly while he was in Srinagar with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. According to the supplied material, the Foreign Ministry called in Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker, who currently heads the US mission in Pakistan, and delivered what it described as a strong demarche. Pakistan said it rejected the characterisation of Indian-administered Kashmir as part of India and said the territory awaits final disposition under United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Gor's visit was notable because it was the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019. It also came after India stripped the territory of its autonomy that year, a move that remains central to the dispute between India and Pakistan. The supplied material says Gor spent two days in Srinagar and Ladakh this week and also told reporters that Washington was reconsidering its "do not travel" advisory for the area, citing improved security under Abdullah's administration.

The incident matters because Kashmir remains one of the most sensitive issues in South Asia and a recurring source of friction between India and Pakistan. Any public statement by a senior US diplomat on the territory can carry diplomatic weight, especially when it appears to align with one side's position. In this case, Pakistan said the remarks contradicted Washington's stated approach, while experts quoted in the source described the episode as a diplomatic misstep.

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The timing is also significant for broader regional diplomacy. The supplied material says Pakistan has been courting Donald Trump's administration more closely than it has in years, while the United States is trying to balance that relationship against its strategic partnership with India. That balancing act has become more visible as Washington seeks to maintain working ties with both South Asian rivals despite their long-running dispute over Kashmir.

The visit itself also had a symbolic dimension. It was the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to the territory since 2019, making it unusual even before the remarks prompted Pakistan's response. Gor, who was confirmed as US ambassador to India in January and also serves as President Donald Trump's special envoy for South and Central Asia, used the trip to meet local officials and speak publicly about security conditions.

The source also notes that the current US travel advisory places Jammu and Kashmir at a "Do Not Travel" level because of terrorism and civil unrest, while exempting Ladakh and Leh. Gor's comments about reconsidering that advisory suggest Washington is reviewing its assessment of conditions on the ground, although no change has been announced. For Pakistan, however, the immediate issue was the diplomatic language used by a senior US representative in a territory it continues to describe as internationally disputed.

What remains unclear is whether the exchange will lead to any formal change in US policy or whether it will remain a short-lived diplomatic dispute. The next developments to watch are any response from Washington, any further statement from Pakistan's foreign ministry, and whether the remarks affect the wider US effort to manage relations with both India and Pakistan. For now, the incident has sharpened attention on Kashmir's status and on how carefully outside powers frame their public language about the region.