No change in Kashmir policy, US assures Islamabad

The United States has communicated to Pakistan that its stance on the Kashmir issue remains unchanged, according to diplomatic sources. This assurance came in response to controversial comments made by US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, who referred to Jammu and Kashmir as "an important part of India" during a trip to Srinagar on August 19.

Pakistani officials sought clarification from Washington regarding whether Gor's remarks indicated a shift in US policy. US officials assured their Pakistani counterparts that there had been "no change in our position" and reiterated that Washington continued to view Kashmir as a dispute requiring resolution between Pakistan and India.

The sources also noted that President Trump's previous offer to assist in resolving the Kashmir dispute underscored the US view that the issue remained unresolved. Gor's remarks had evidently raised concerns in Islamabad. During a meeting with Omar Abdullah, the head of the government in India-administered Kashmir, the US ambassador described the territory as "an important part of India."

He also mentioned that Washington was reviewing its "Do not travel" advisory for the region due to perceived improvements in security. In response, Pakistan protested the remarks and summoned the US chargé d'affaires in Islamabad, arguing that the ambassador's comments contradicted the US's longstanding position and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The matter was further discussed during a media interaction in Washington with Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, and Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh. Noon reaffirmed Pakistan's political, diplomatic, and moral support for the Kashmiri people and emphasized that lasting peace in South Asia could not be achieved without resolving the dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions.

He stressed that the dispute could not be treated as settled and urged the international community to pay closer attention to allegations of human rights violations in India-administered Kashmir. Noon also connected the Kashmir issue to the broader security situation in South Asia, highlighting the importance of resolving outstanding disputes peacefully amidst the presence of three nuclear-armed states. The Pakistani embassy later issued a statement reflecting these positions.