The government of India has conveyed its concerns to Washington DC after the US ambassador to Pakistan recently visited Indan territories under illegal occupation of Pakistan. As per reports, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Armin Blome had recently visited Gilgit and Baltistan.
“I think our position on the status of the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India is well known. We would urge the international community to respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have raised our concerns about that visit by the US Ambassador to Pakistan with the US side,” stated Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in his weekly press briefing.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) projects and numerous recreational areas were part of the US envoy’s tour who also met with Rani Sanam Faryad and Sadia Danish, the deputy speaker and vice speaker, respectively of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly.
The US representative has previously traveled to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and met with Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan then Prime Minister appointed by Pakistan in Muzaffarabad in October 2022. He laid a wreath in the memory of the victims of the 2005 earthquake and expressed, “During the 75 years of our partnership, the United States has always stood by Pakistan, particularly when it’s needed most.”
When questioned about the aforementioned issue, the US ambassador to India Eric Michael Garcetti drew a false equivalence and compared the American delegation’s trip to Kashmir for the G20 summit to David Blome’s journey to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “Regarding Ambassador Garcetti’s remarks, we do not believe it questions our position. We don’t think the two situations are equal,” the MEA spokesperson responded.
“It is not my place to react. The US ambassador has visited there before. You have our delegation visiting Kashmir for the G20 as well,” the US ambassador alleged while speaking to the media at an event which was organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce on 26 September. He emphasised that the Kashmir dispute is a bilateral problem between India and Pakistan and needs to be resolved by both nations while reaffirming the US opinion on the matter. “This is an issue that must be resolved between India and Pakistan and not by a third party, including the US.”
The US ambassador to Pakistan went to Gilgit and Hunza valleys in the third week of September. Interestingly, it was objected to by the opposition leaders in the country. His visit was intended to “explore opportunities for strengthening the region’s climate resilience,” according to the American embassy in Islamabad. Jonathan Lalley, a spokeswoman for the embassy reported that Pakistan was one of the most vulnerable nations with regard to climate change.
The Gilgit Baltistan government was unaware of the six-day visit, per leaders of opposition parties who further claimed that “the mysterious activities” of the US ambassador in the area had caused concerns.
