Pakistan summons US diplomat over ambassador's Kashmir remarks

Pakistan summoned the top U.S. representative in Islamabad to lodge a strong protest over remarks made by the U.S. ambassador to India, who described the disputed territory of Kashmir as an integral part of India.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced it had "firmly condemned and categorically rejected" the ambassador's statements, which it deemed "factually incorrect" regarding the status of Jammu and Kashmir. During the meeting, Pakistan emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed territory.

India and Pakistan have been in a territorial dispute over Kashmir since the partition of British India in 1947. The U.S. ambassador, during a visit to Srinagar in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, had told journalists, "It is an important part of India." He also mentioned having a productive meeting with the local chief and expressed eagerness to advance the relationship between the U.S. and the region.