Diplomacy is not only what you say. It's often what you do not say ! And hence it is also - how you say !!
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman - Randhir Jaiswal says: "…I see no reason to comment on Pakistan’s frustration".
He was commenting on US envoy's latest visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, supposedly handpicked by Donald Trump, visited Srinagar on August 20, 2026, marking his first trip to Jammu and Kashmir.
During a joint appearance with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Gor described the region as an "important part of India" and hinted that Washington might review its Level 4 travel advisory.
His remarks prompted Pakistan to summon the top U.S. diplomat in Islamabad in protest.
Jaiswal was assertive: “I will repeat, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and indivisible parts of India. They were, they are, and they will remain so…I see no reason to comment on Pakistan’s frustration.”
Pakistan had summoned the US Charge d'Affaires and lodged a protest stating that Gor’s remarks regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir were “factually incorrect” and “contradictory” to Washington's longstanding position on Kashmir.
Since Aug 5, 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370, the evolution of the US position on J&K has been significant. Firstly, the high profile international episode saw least interference by the Trump 1.0 administration in 2019-2020.
The visit by Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia, was the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, and the first since India stripped the territory of its autonomy that year.
His remarks were made publicly, alongside Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, adding to Islamabad’s irritation.
The episode also comes at a delicate moment for Washington’s ties with both South Asian rivals.
The US now tries to balance the 'relationship' beteen Islamabad and New Delhi against its strategic partnership with India. On the other hand, Pakistan is trying court Trump’s administration more closely than it has in years more out of geo-political compulsions.
The Operation Sindoor in May 2025 has left Pakistan - shell-shocked and exposed in more ways than one.
Gor also said Washington was reconsidering its “do not travel” advisory for J&K citing improved security since 2019. For Pakistan, US language on Kashmir’s disputed status is an important external validation of its effort to internationalise the issue.
“This is a beautiful area. I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty,” the US envoy had said.
Gor's remarks on the travel advisory are particularly significant to Jammu and Kashmir’s efforts to expand its international tourism footprint and attract visitors from the United States and other Western countries.
Gor's visit and meeting with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah signals both acknowledgement and engagement with the UT’s first elected government post the 2019 constitutional changes. The National Conference wants earlier restoration of statehood for the province.
In January 2020, Kenneth Juster, the then US Ambassador, had been to J&K as a member of Modi government-facilitated delegation of 15 foreign envoys.
This also coincided with Trump’s plans for a visit to India in February that year.
Two American delegations also travelled to Kashmir.
In May 2023, a US delegation attended a G20 working group meeting on tourism. Another delegation from the US embassy visited in August 2024, before the elections in the Union Territory.
ends
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