THE remarks made by the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, describing Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as “an important part of India” are deeply regrettable and deserve the strongest condemnation. Coming from a diplomat, the statement is particularly irresponsible. A diplomat is expected to be fully aware of the historical, legal and internationally recognized status of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. No political statement can erase the established reality that Jammu and Kashmir remains a disputed territory whose final status is yet to be determined.
The statement is also difficult to reconcile with the position repeatedly articulated by US President Donald Trump himself. President Trump has on several occasions offered to mediate between Pakistan and India to help resolve the Kashmir dispute, including in the aftermath of Marka-e-Haq. Such offers of mediation inherently recognize that there is a dispute requiring resolution. Pakistan has rightly responded by summoning the US Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad and lodging a strong demarche. The Foreign Office categorically rejected the ambassador’s characterization of IIOJK and reminded the US side that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory, awaiting final disposition in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Washington should ensure that the public statements of its officials remain consistent with international law, the UN Charter and its own stated position on the Kashmir dispute. Its final disposition lies in the free and impartial expression of the will of the Kashmiri people through a UN-supervised plebiscite, in accordance with the commitments made to them by the international community. The world has a responsibility to ensure that the promises made to the Kashmiri people are fulfilled. The people of Kashmir cannot be deprived of their fundamental right to determine their own future. The road to lasting peace in South Asia lies not in denying the dispute, but in resolving it fairly in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
