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Pakistan summons US diplomat over Kashmir remark
The Hindu··20 Aug
On 19 August 2026, Pakistan's Foreign Office summoned US Charge d'Affaires Natalie Baker and lodged a strong demarche over remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in Srinagar. Gor, also Special Envoy to South and Central Asia, said Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India. He spoke after meeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Pakistan rejected that characterisation.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you hold a US passport and were waiting on Kashmir travel advice, Gor said Washington would reconsider the advisory after talks with the Centre and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
- Anyone following India-Pakistan diplomacy can note Islamabad summoned the US Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad hours after the Srinagar remarks.
- If you track the envoy's brief, Gor is on a two-day visit covering Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and is also the administration's Special Envoy to South and Central Asia.
What's Happening
- Gor told reporters in Srinagar that Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India and that he was visiting for the first time.
- Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Baker was summoned and that a strong demarche was lodged over factually incorrect remarks, in its wording.
- The Pakistani statement urged the US to ensure public comments remain consistent with what Islamabad calls the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Where The Srinagar Visit Sits In Recent Diplomacy
- India maintains that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and an internal matter; Pakistan cites UN Security Council resolutions and calls the territory disputed.
- Gor's visit followed a four-day India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025, after which Islamabad said it welcomed Trump's mediation offer on Kashmir.
- The envoy is also listed as US Ambassador to India, so the protest was delivered in Islamabad to the Charge d'Affaires rather than in New Delhi.
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