US Recognizes Entire Jammu & Kashmir as Part of India: Trade Representative’s Map Delivers Blow to Pakistan

Washington: Pakistan faced a diplomatic setback after the US Trade Representative’s office released a map of India showing the entire region of Jammu & Kashmir as part of India, including the territory under Pakistani control (PoK). The move comes following the announcement of a trade framework between the US and India.

The map marks a departure from Washington’s traditionally neutral stance on Kashmir, which has long considered it a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan to be resolved through dialogue. In September 2023, former US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, reiterated that the Kashmir dispute should be addressed bilaterally.

However, last year, amid heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan, former US President Donald Trump made statements that deviated from the previous US position, offering to mediate on the Kashmir issue. After the ceasefire, Trump posted on social media that he would “see if after a thousand years a solution to the Kashmir issue can be found.”

Impact on Pakistan’s Propaganda

The map released by the Trade Representative’s office is being seen as a significant blow to Pakistan’s long-running propaganda on Kashmir. In recent months, Pakistan’s government under Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has actively sought to court US favor, including agreeing to participate in Trump’s Gaza Peace Board—a decision that has sparked domestic controversy in Pakistan.

India’s Stance on Kashmir

India has repeatedly maintained that Jammu & Kashmir has been, is, and will always remain an integral part of India. New Delhi has stated that any discussion with Pakistan on Kashmir would solely concern the return of Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The Indian Parliament passed a unanimous resolution on 22 February 1994, affirming that Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and that any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country would be opposed by all necessary means. Since then, 22 February is observed annually as Jammu & Kashmir Resolution Day in India.