Ambassador Sergio Gor's Kashmir remarks deepen US-Pakistan rift
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Pakistan summoned US Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker on Wednesday to protest Sergio Gor's description of Indian-administered Kashmir as "an important part of India." Islamabad rejected the remark and reasserted Kashmir's status as disputed territory. The episode comes as Washington balances deepening ties with Pakistan against its strategic partnership with India.
Key Facts
- Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned US Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker on Wednesday after Ambassador Sergio Gor described Indian-administered Kashmir as "an important part of India".
- Gor's two-day visit to Srinagar and Ladakh was the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, when India revoked the territory's autonomy.
- The US State Department places Jammu and Kashmir at a "Do Not Travel" advisory level, citing terrorism and civil unrest, while exempting Ladakh and Leh.
- Gor, 38, was confirmed as US ambassador to India in January and also serves as President Donald Trump's special envoy for South and Central Asia.
- Islamabad's foreign ministry lodged a "strong demarche" and said Gor's remarks negated Washington's longstanding position on the Kashmir dispute.
Gor's Kashmir Visit
Sergio Gor, a 38-year-old former Trump aide confirmed as US ambassador to India in January, spent two days in Srinagar and Ladakh this week. The visit was the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, when India stripped the territory of its autonomy. After meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar, Gor told reporters he was thrilled to be visiting "an important part of India" for the first time. Gor also said Washington was reconsidering its "do not travel" advisory, citing improved security under Abdullah's administration.
Islamabad's Demarche
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker, who currently heads the US mission in the country, on Wednesday evening. The ministry lodged a "strong demarche" rejecting the characterisation of Indian-administered Kashmir as part of India. It reasserted Kashmir's status as an internationally recognised disputed territory awaiting final disposition under UN Security Council resolutions. The ministry called Gor's remarks factually incorrect and said they negated Washington's longstanding position on the dispute.
US-Pakistan-India Dynamics
The episode comes as Pakistan courts Trump's administration more closely than it has in years, while the US tries to balance that relationship against its strategic partnership with India. Trump made an offer to help resolve the Kashmir question after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire ending their four-day war last year. Islamabad thanked Trump for that offer and urged Washington to keep its public language consistent with its position on Kashmir.
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Ambassador Sergio Gor's Kashmir remarks deepen US-Pakistan rift
