KABUL (Pajhwok): US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has described Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India” during his visit to Srinagar, prompting Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry to summon the US chargé d’affaires in Islamabad and convey its protest.
India’s Akashvani news network reported that Gor, who was making his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir, met with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar.
According to the report, Gor described Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India” and said the Indian central government and the region’s administration had taken important steps to improve the security situation.
The report said Gor and Abdullah described the meeting as positive.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Aaj English TV reported that the Pakistani Foreign Ministry summoned the US chargé d’affaires in Islamabad following the remarks and conveyed its formal protest.
According to the report, Pakistan rejected Gor’s description of Jammu and Kashmir, saying Islamabad believed the final status of the region should be determined in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
It said Pakistan also urged the United States to ensure that its public statements reflected the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir has long been a source of dispute between India and Pakistan.
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