According to a report by The Guardian on August 19th, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Natalie Baker, the US chargé d'affaires in Pakistan, on the same day and submitted a formal diplomatic protest note, strongly condemning Sergio Gore, the US ambassador to India, for referring to the Kashmir region as an 'important part of India'. The Pakistani side stated that Gore's remarks were 'inconsistent with facts' and 'irresponsible'.
The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 19th that "Pakistan strongly condemns and outright rejects the description of Jammu and Kashmir as 'part of India.'" The note emphasized that "Jammu and Kashmir are internationally recognized disputed territories, and their final status should be determined according to relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the wishes of the people of Kashmir."
The note also pointed out that Gore’s statement “negated the well-documented American position on the Kashmir issue,” suggesting that the dispute should be resolved through bilateral relations between Pakistan and India. Pakistan stated in the note that while appreciating President Trump’s proposal to mediate in the Jammu and Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, it urged the US to ensure that its public statements are consistent with the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir.
On that day, Pakistan also removed the security barriers and parking poles outside the High Commissioner's Office in Islamabad. Similar actions were taken by the Indian side on Thursday morning.
According to US media reports, on Wednesday local time, U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Garcia told reporters during his visit to Indian-controlled Kashmir that Jammu and Kashmir is an “important part of India”, which led to this diplomatic storm.
Pakistan and India have long had tense relations. Two of the three wars that occurred between the two countries were triggered by the Kashmir issue, and both parties claim sovereignty over the entire Kashmir region.
In 2025, conflicts between the two countries again erupted over the Kashmir issue. At that time, a tourist was attacked in Indian-controlled Kashmir, resulting in a death. New Delhi accused Islamabad of supporting the attack, while Islamabad denied this claim.
On May 7 of that year, India carried out military strikes against targets in Pakistan under the codename “Operation Sindoor”. This led to a retaliatory response from Pakistan. Both sides engaged in fierce exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery fire, resulting in nearly 70 deaths. Eventually, a ceasefire agreement was reached on May 10. Trump claimed several times that he played a role in bringing the two countries to a ceasefire, but the Indian side denied this claim.
