Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on Thursday, 20 August welcomed remarks by United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor describing Jammu and Kashmir as 'an important part of India,' even as Pakistan summoned a US diplomat in protest. Both parties asserted that J&K's status as an integral part of India is non-negotiable.

What the US Ambassador Said

Sergio Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday for a two-day visit covering Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Speaking after a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Gor said: 'Kashmir is an important part of India. I am visiting the place for the first time. It is an incredibly beautiful place.' He added, 'We had a very warm meeting, and we look forward to building on our relationship.'

This marks the first visit by a senior US diplomat to Kashmir since Operation Sindoor last year, and is being read as a significant diplomatic signal amid heightened strategic activity in the region.

Congress and RLD Welcome the Remarks

Congress leader Husain Dalwai called the US stance a positive development. 'It's a good thing. America has taken a very good stand. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has welcomed the US Ambassador's statement. Jammu and Kashmir is Indian territory. There is no question of making any changes to it. PoK should also be included in Jammu and Kashmir. It should come to India,' Dalwai said.

RLD leader K.C. Tyagi also welcomed a separate but related action — the removal of encroachments outside the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. 'I appreciate the courageous step of the government. This is called tit-for-tat,' he said.

Former DGP Urges Caution on Reading Too Much Into It

Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police S.P. Vaid offered a more measured assessment, noting that the American position on J&K was not new. 'That is between Pakistan and the US. Let us see what response the US gives. But we believe this has always been the usual policy. I don't see anything new in this. The US has continued to say that Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India,' Vaid said. He added, 'That is what Sergio Gor has said. They have not said anything new. Pakistan is offended.'

Pakistan High Commission Encroachments Removed

Separately, authorities in New Delhi demolished a section of structures outside the Pakistan High Commission that were found to be beyond the mission's approved boundary. The action was carried out using a JCB machine, which cleared structures, barricades, and queue-management installations near the visa section. Traffic bollards and the external security perimeter were also dismantled.

The move comes three days after Pakistani authorities reportedly removed protective security barricades outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, making the timing diplomatically significant.

Broader Diplomatic Context

Gor's visit to Kashmir and his public endorsement of India's position on J&K come at a moment of elevated India-Pakistan tensions following Operation Sindoor. Pakistan's decision to summon a US diplomat over the remarks underscores how sensitive the envoy's characterisation of Kashmir has proven in Islamabad. Analysts note that while the US position on J&K's status has historically been consistent, a public reaffirmation by a sitting ambassador — and Trump's own special envoy — carries fresh diplomatic weight in the current geopolitical climate.