Pakistan summons top US diplomat over envoy's remarks saying J&K part of India

Pakistan on Wednesday summoned US Chargé d'Affaires Natalie Baker and lodged a "strong demarche" over remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.

Key points

• Hours after Gor's remarks, Pakistan's Foreign Office summoned Baker in Islamabad and lodged a formal protest.
• "Pakistan strongly condemned and categorically rejected the characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a 'part of India', " the Foreign Office remarked in an official note.
• The Foreign Office remarked Pakistan had appreciated Trump's offer to mediate between India and Pakistan after the four-day conflict between the two countries in May last year.
• The US envoy met Abdullah at the Chief Minister's residence shortly after arriving in Srinagar.
• He remarked New Delhi and the Jammu and Kashmir administration had taken "incredible steps" to create the region safer.

Gor, who is additionally US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to South and Central Asia, arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He is scheduled to travel to Ladakh on Thursday.

Speaking at a joint media briefing with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Gor remarked the United States would review its travel advisory for Jammu and Kashmir, citing steps taken by the Centre and the Union Territory administration to improve security.

"The United States puts out travel warnings and every so often, we re-evaluate those travel warnings. I cannot create any sizeable announcements here today, but it is something we are going to look at, " Gor noted.

As I stated earlier, this is a beautiful area, "We will be looking at if the travel warning that is imposed and recommended by the United States is something that should be downgraded since. I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty and the opportunities that exist here, " he remarked.

Gor additionally described Jammu and Kashmir as "an important part of India" and "an incredibly beautiful place".

Meanwhile, the US envoy met Abdullah at the Chief Minister's residence shortly after arriving in Srinagar.

"I am thrilled to be here. We just had a particularly good gathering and we have some follow-ups that we hope to take back to Washington (and) back to Delhi. But a particularly warm, a highly cordial session and we look forward to building this relationship forward, " Gor remarked.

Abdullah remarked the discussions covered India-US relations, with a particular focus on Jammu and Kashmir.

"It was a particularly good gathering. We had an opportunity to discuss the relations between our two countries, but with a specific focus on what the US can do with Jammu and Kashmir, " he remarked.

"There are obviously certain legacy problems that over time we will be working to resolve. But we look forward to taking this conversation further. This is a conversation that will take place both between Ambassador Gor and Washington, and between me and the Administration of India in New Delhi, " Abdullah stated.

He continued that he was "very hopeful and optimistic" that engagement between the United States and Jammu and Kashmir would "both widen and deepen in the years ahead".

It reiterated Islamabad's position that Jammu and Kashmir is an "internationally recognised disputed territory" whose final status should be determined in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri individuals.

Pakistan additionally described Gor's remarks as "irresponsible", saying they contradicted what it called the longstanding and well-documented US position on the Kashmir dispute and Washington's commitment to international law and the UN Charter.

Notably, the Foreign Office remarked Pakistan had appreciated Trump's offer to mediate between India and Pakistan after the four-day conflict between the two countries in May last year.

Islamabad pressed Washington to ensure that its public statements remained consistent with its position on the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.

For now, pakistan summons top US diplomat over envoy' s remarks saying J& K part of remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.