No change in Kashmir policy, US assures Islamabad

No change in Kashmir policy, US assures Islamabad

WASHINGTON: The US has assured Pakistan that its position on the Kashmir dispute remains unchanged and that Washington continues to regard the region as a disputed territory requiring a settlement between Pakistan and India, according to diplomatic sources. The assurance followed the controversial remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who described Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India” during a visit to Srinagar on Aug 19. According to Pakistani diplomatic sources, Islamabad sought clarification from Washington on whether Gor’s remarks signalled a policy shift. US officials told their Pakistani interlocutors there had been “no change in our position” and that Washington continued to regard Kashmir as a dispute requiring resolution between Pakistan and India. The sources also pointed to President Trump’s previous offer to help resolve the Kashmir dispute, saying the offer reflected Washington’s view that the issue remained unresolved. Trump’s offer to help resolve Kashmir dispute highlighted Gor’s remarks had caused concern in Islamabad. During a meeting with Omar Abdullah, who heads the government in India-held Kashmir, the US ambassador described the territory as “an important part of India”. He also indicated that Washington was reviewing its ‘Do not travel’ advisory for the region in light of what he described as improvements in the security situation. Pakistan subsequently protested the remarks and summoned the US chargé d’affaires in Islamabad, saying the ambassador’s comments were inconsistent with its understanding of the longstanding US position and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The issue was discussed during a media interaction in Washington involving Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh. Mr Noon reaffirmed Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support for the Kashmiri people and said lasting peace in South Asia could not be achieved without resolving the dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions. He said the dispute could not be treated as settled. He urged the international community to pay greater attention to allegations of human rights violations in India-held Kashmir, citing concerns over disappearances, detentions, demographic changes and efforts to alter Kashmir’s political and cultural identity. Mr Noon also linked the dispute to the broader security situation in South Asia, arguing that the presence of three nuclear-armed states underscored the importance of resolving outstanding disputes peacefully. Similarly, Amb Sheikh said Kashmir remained part of the international and UN framework and that its peaceful resolution was essential to regional and wider international peace and stability. The embassy later issued a statement reflecting these positions. Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2026