A diplomatic dispute has erupted between Pakistan and the United States after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor publicly described Jammu and Kashmir as part of India during his visit to Srinagar.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Wednesday summoned the US Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad and formally objected to Gor’s remarks, calling the statement unacceptable and disputing Washington’s description of the region.

The Pakistani government said the ambassador’s comments amounted to a departure from what it considers the United States’ established position on the Kashmir dispute. Islamabad maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory whose final status, in its view, should be settled through the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the people of the region.

Pakistan also accused the US envoy’s comments of conflicting with principles of international law and the UN Charter. It urged Washington to ensure that statements by its officials remained consistent with its approach to the India-Pakistan dispute.

What Sergio Gor said in Srinagar

Gor made the remarks after meeting Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during his first official visit to the Union Territory.

Describing his visit, Gor said he was pleased to be in the region and referred to Jammu and Kashmir as an important part of India. He also spoke positively about the area's natural beauty and its potential to attract American tourists.

The envoy's comments came alongside discussions about improving travel prospects for visitors from the US.

Jammu and Kashmir currently falls under the highest level of the US travel advisory, which asks Americans not to travel to the region because of security concerns. Gor indicated that Washington would reassess the advisory.

He stopped short of announcing an immediate change, but said the US would examine whether the existing travel warning should be lowered in the future.

Tourism and investment on agenda

Gor’s meeting with Omar Abdullah focused primarily on economic and developmental opportunities, according to both sides.

The US ambassador said the discussions covered possibilities for greater economic cooperation between the United States and Jammu and Kashmir, with the aim of creating opportunities beneficial to both countries.

Abdullah said tourism, horticulture and the emerging economy were among the subjects discussed. He described the interaction as constructive and expressed hope that engagement between Jammu and Kashmir and the US would expand in the coming years.

Before the meeting, Abdullah had indicated that he would not use the occasion to raise political grievances with the American envoy. He said the Centre, rather than Washington, would have to address the region’s core problems.

Pakistan objects to Washington’s wording

Islamabad reacted sharply after Gor’s comments became public.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the US diplomat’s description of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India was “factually incorrect” and formally rejected it.

The Pakistani government argued that the statement did not reflect what it described as the longstanding US approach to the Kashmir issue. It also referred to US President Donald Trump’s previous offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir and urged Washington to maintain consistency in its public messaging.

The protest has consequently added a fresh diplomatic dimension to Gor’s otherwise largely economic and tourism-focused visit.

Why Gor’s Kashmir visit matters

The Srinagar visit is Gor’s first trip to Jammu and Kashmir since becoming the US ambassador to India. It comes seven years after the Indian government ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and subsequently reorganised the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

His visit also takes place against the backdrop of continuing security concerns in the region and renewed attention on tourism following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Gor is scheduled to travel to Ladakh on Thursday.

For Washington, any future decision to alter its travel advisory could have implications for international tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. For Pakistan, meanwhile, the ambassador’s remarks have opened another point of contention over Washington’s language on the Kashmir dispute.

The diplomatic row therefore comes at a time when the US is simultaneously seeking deeper economic engagement with the region while navigating the longstanding sensitivities surrounding India-Pakistan relations.