MEA on Pak's J&K protest: 'No reason to comment on frustration'

MEA refuses to comment on Pakistan's 'frustration' after it protested US diplomat Sergio Gor's statement calling J&K an 'important part of India'. India reiterated its stance that J&K is an integral part of the nation.

India Dismisses Pakistan's 'Frustration' Over J&K Remarks

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said it sees no reason to comment on Pakistan's "frustration" after Islamabad summoned a top US diplomat following US Ambassador Sergio Gor's recent remarks on Jammu and Kashmir being an "important part of India".

Addressing the bi-weekly press briefing of the MEA in the national capital, Jaiswal said, "I will repeat, Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh are integral and indivisible parts of India. They were, they are, and they will remain so."

"I see no reason to comment on Pakistan's frustration. This is what I have to say," he said in response to a question on Pakistan sparking a diplomatic protest over Gor's remarks.

Islamabad on Wednesday summoned the US Charge d'Affaires and lodged a protest stating that his remarks regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir were "factually incorrect" and contradict Washington's longstanding position on Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Thursday that the summoning of a US diplomat by Islamabad was an issue between Pakistan and the United States.

US Envoy's Visit and Remarks

Sergio Gor had on Wednesday called Jammu and Kashmir an "important part of India" after meeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar during the first standalone visit by the US envoy to the Union Territory since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam in 2025.

Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, Gor, commended the security efforts made by the administration of the Union Territory and the Centre to make Jammu and Kashmir safer, and signalled a potential shift in Washington's stance by indicating that the US may re-evaluate and "downgrade" its highest-level travel warning for J&K.

"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. We had a very good meeting, and we have some follow-ups that we'll take back to Washington, back to Delhi. But, a very warm, very cordial, and we look forward to building this relationship forward," Gor had said.

Potential Review of US Travel Advisory

The US envoy said some "incredible steps" have been taken to keep the Jammu and Kashmir "more safe" and the US will review travel advisory. Notably, at present the US has a Level 4 "do not travel" advisory for its citizens.

"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. New Delhi, the Chief Minister here, the Government here--we believe have made some incredible steps to keeping this area safer and making it more safe," Gor said.

"So, we will be looking at if the travel warning that is imposed... is something that should 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 added. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)