Pakistan on Wednesday summoned the US charge d'affaires in Islamabad over remarks made by US ambassador to India Sergio Gor during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs said the US envoy to Islamabad was summoned and “a strong demarche lodged” against Gor's remarks.
Gor had, earlier on Wednesday during his visit to Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, said the union territory “is an important part of India.” This was his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir, during which the US ambassador to India also said that America would reconsider its travel advisories for the region.
Deep Dive
What did US ambassador Sergio Gor say about Jammu and Kashmir during his visit?
Why is Gor's visit to Jammu and Kashmir significant?
How does the current US travel advisory affect tourism in Jammu and Kashmir?
In the statement, Pakistan said that it “strongly condemned” the remarks and called them “irresponsible”. “It was underscored that Jammu and Kashmir is…awaiting final disposition in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs claimed.
{{/usCountry}}In the statement, Pakistan said that it “strongly condemned” the remarks and called them “irresponsible”. “It was underscored that Jammu and Kashmir is…awaiting final disposition in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs claimed.
{{/usCountry}}It claimed that the statement “ran contrary to the United States' commitment to supremacy of international law and the UN charter.”
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Gor's visit to J&K, meeting with CM Abdullah
Gor, during his visit, met Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah. Speaking to the media after the meeting, he said, “This is an important part of India and so I'm here visiting for the first time. It's an incredibly beautiful place, and so I'm thrilled to be here, thrilled to see this place.”
He said he had a “good meeting” with the J&K CM, adding that there were “some follow-ups” which Gor would “take back to Washington.” “But, a very warm, very cordial, and we look forward to building this relationship forward,” the US ambassador to India said.
Gor also highlighted the “significant steps” taken to keep the union territory “more safe”. “The United States puts out travel warnings and every so often we re-evaluate those travel warnings. I cannot make any big announcements here today, but it is something that we are going to look at,” he said. The US currently has a Level 4 "do not travel" advisory for its citizens.
Gor, however, said the US would be “looking at if the travel warning that is imposed” could be downgraded. “This is a beautiful area, I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty and opportunity that exists here,” he said.
J&K chief minister Abdullah, meanwhile, said he had a “very good meeting” with Gor on the “possibilities that exist to widen & deepen the engagement between J&K & the United States of America, particularly in areas like tourism, horticulture & the new economy.”