Islamabad: US Ambassador’s recent statement on Kashmir does not signify a change in the United States’ position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, according to Sardar Masood Khan, former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, China, and the United Nations, and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
According to President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, in a television interview, Sardar Masood Khan clarified that the statement attributed to the US Ambassador in India regarding the status of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir was inaccurate. The United States has not officially altered its policy or acknowledged Jammu and Kashmir as part of India. Sardar Masood Khan emphasized that US ambassadors typically receive extensive briefings at the State Department and within their missions before assuming their roles, making it unlikely that the statement was due to a lack of awareness.
Sardar Masood Khan highlighted the United States’ historical support for the principle of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and its involvement in relevant United Nations discussions and resolutions on the dispute. He noted that the Jammu and Kashmir issue remains on the United Nations Security Council’s agenda, with its resolutions neither implemented nor terminated. He described the ambassador’s remarks as legally incorrect and politically inappropriate, especially given the recent positive developments in Pakistan-US relations.
Recalling the Markaz-e-Haq episode and subsequent ceasefire between Pakistan and India, Sardar Masood Khan mentioned that former President Donald Trump had urged both countries to pursue trade and resolve the Kashmir issue. He also referenced former US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s stance that Pakistan and India should engage in dialogue and negotiations to address their unresolved issues.
Sardar Masood Khan argued that these developments indicate no formal shift in Washington’s stance on Jammu and Kashmir, and the ambassador’s remarks should not be seen as a policy change unless formally endorsed by the US State Department. Commenting on the ambassador’s visit to Srinagar and Ladakh, he noted that while the ambassador is free to visit various parts of the region, the choice of words regarding Kashmir was inappropriate. He suggested that the visit to Ladakh might carry broader geopolitical implications amid the US-China strategic and economic rivalry and growing US-India strategic ties.
He welcomed the démarche issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, stating that Islamabad had appropriately conveyed its protest and reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains a disputed territory, with its final status to be determined in accordance with United Nations resolutions. Sardar Masood Khan expressed confidence that further diplomatic engagement through official channels in Islamabad and Washington would clarify that there had been no change in the United States’ established position on Jammu and Kashmir.