‘No reason to comment on Pak’s frustration’: MEA after Islamabad summons US diplomat over Gor remarks

India on Friday hit back at Pakistan over its decision to summon the top US diplomat in Islamabad after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor affirmed that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, saying there was "no reason" to.

Key points

• Hours afterwards, Pakistan's Foreign Office summoned the US Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad and lodged a "strong demarche" over Gor's remarks.
• Gor, during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, remarked the Union Territory was an notable part of India.
• "Pakistan strongly condemned and categorically rejected the characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a 'part of India', " the Pakistan Foreign Office remarked in an official note.
• Jaiswal reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "are, and will always remain, an integral and inalienable part of India".
• "I see no reason to comment on Pakistan's frustration, " External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked at a media briefing.

Hours afterwards, Pakistan's Foreign Office summoned the US Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad and lodged a "strong demarche" over Gor's remarks. Gor is additionally the Trump administration's Special Envoy to South and Central Asia.

He additionally defended India's recent removal of temporary structures outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, saying the action was in response to Pakistan removing parking poles outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

"Certain structures there (outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad) were removed, despite our request. Once it happened, we took what could be described as a proportional action – we removed some temporary structures located in the lane outside the Pakistani High Commission here (in Delhi), " Jaiswal remarked.

Pakistani authorities had earlier removed security barricades and parking poles outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Indian agencies subsequently demolished unauthorised temporary structures outside the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi.

For context, the developments came against the backdrop of a deep freeze in ties between the two countries. It deteriorated sharply after India's Operation Sindoor, introduced against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied territories.

For now, 'No reason to comment on Pak's frustration': MEA after Islamabad summons US remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.