After US ambassador Sergio Gor described Kashmir as an “important part of India” and Pakistan lodged a protest, chief minister Omar Abdullah said that it was a matter between the US and Pakistan.
Pakistan on Wednesday summoned the US chargé d’affaires and lodged a “strong demarche” over remarks by Gor regarding Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to the Union territory.
When asked about Pakistan’s protest, Omar said, “This is an issue between the US and Pakistan. Neither you nor I can do anything on this. Whatever the US ambassador has said is between the two countries.”
On the Congress calling the US ambassador’s remarks a “third party intervention”, the CM said the Congress is the biggest opposition party and is entitled to its point of view. “I am not going to enter into a war of words over this.”
Meanwhile, former J&K CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said it was not the first time a US ambassador had visited Kashmir. “The only difference is that before 2019, whenever the US ambassador visited Kashmir, they used to meet a cross-section of society and form their opinion. Post-2019, all tours of foreign dignitaries are curated. He came, met the CM, took a Shikara ride and left. I agree with Omar that the solution to our problems lies with New Delhi, not with the US,” Mufti said.
Mufti alleged that unfortunately Omar did not raise the issue of Kashmir with New Delhi. “At least Omar should have shown displeasure to the ambassador over the killing of people in Iran and other Muslim countries, as J&K also gets affected when people are killed there,” Mufti said.
BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur welcomed the visit of Sergio Gor to Srinagar, describing his remarks that J&K is an “important part of India” as a major diplomatic achievement and a strong reflection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy.
Thakur said the US ambassador’s statement from Srinagar carries considerable diplomatic significance, particularly at a time when Pakistan has repeatedly attempted to internationalise the J&K issue.
“Sergio Gor’s statement is a major diplomatic achievement for the country and a clear reflection of Modi’s successful foreign policy. The world is increasingly recognising the ground reality of J&K, and Pakistan’s propaganda stands exposed,” he said. Thakur also said the visit demonstrated the transformation J&K has undergone in recent years.
“Those who once projected Kashmir to the world as a region of perpetual unrest must now answer why a senior American diplomat can visit Srinagar, meet the elected CM, travel freely and publicly acknowledge J&K as an important part of India. This is the new J&K. Pakistan has spent decades manufacturing a false narrative about Kashmir. Today, that narrative is collapsing before the eyes of the international community. The reality is visible — J&K is peaceful, democratic, developing and increasingly connected with the world,” he said.
