Pak summons US envoy, Delhi calls it frustration. Underlining that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are "integral and indivisible" parts of India, Delhi on Friday described Pakistan's move to summon a top US diplomat as a sign of Islamabad's "frustration" over US Ambassador Sergio Gor's comment that J&K is an "important part of India".
Responding to questions, MEA spokesperson Randhir 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."
Pakistan had summoned the US Charge d'Affaires and lodged a protest stating that Gor's remarks regarding status of Jammu and Kashmir were "factually incorrect" and "contradictory" to Washington's long-standing position on Kashmir.
US Ambassador Gor's declaration from Srinagar that Jammu and Kashmir is "an important part of India" is not just Washington's public affirmation of New Delhi's long-standing position on J&K, but also being seen as a message to Islamabad and Beijing, especially in wake of Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
A close confidant of President Donald Trump, Gor is also his special envoy to South and Central Asia. His meeting with J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah signals both acknowledgement and engagement with UT's first elected government post 2019 constitutional changes.For New Delhi, this is significant given that India-US chill was precipitated by India-Pakistan conflict amid Trump's repeated claims of brokering ceasefire following Operation Sindoor last year.From Srinagar, Gor has reinforced Trump's approach on Kashmir — from his first term itself — viewing it as an "internal matter" of India.
This is first standalone visit to Valley by a serving US Ambassador since 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated and state of J&K bifurcated into two Union Territories.
In January 2020, Kenneth Juster, who was US Ambassador then, had been there as member of government-facilitated delegation of 15 foreign envoys. This was around time groundwork was being done for Trump's visit to India in February that year.
The timing matters. Gor's visit comes after Pahalgam attack, Operation Sindoor, and months of US-India friction over Trump's mediation claims. By landing in Srinagar and calling it an important part of India, Washington is not just endorsing Delhi's map, but also Delhi's narrative — that post-Article 370, J&K is open, normal, and integral.
Islamabad's protest, summoning a Charge d'Affaires rather than Ambassador — since Gor was in India — shows anxiety. Pakistan still seeks internationalisation of Kashmir. US, by saying "internal matter", closes that door.
Delhi's response — brief, firm, dismissive — is calibrated. No overstatement. Just repetition of old line, with a new edge: frustration.