Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:01am on 20 Aug 2026,Thursday India Global
US Ambassador and special envoy Sergio Gor’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir in six years has triggered a diplomatic row after he called the Union Territory “an important part of India” during his Srinagar visit on August 19. Pakistan strongly rejected the remarks and summoned US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker in Islamabad. Gor met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to discuss regional development, bilateral ties and deeper US-J&K engagement, including tourism and the economy. He also indicated Washington could review its Level 4 “do not travel” advisory for J&K, citing improved security. A downgrade could benefit local businesses, with tourism accounting for 7% of the region’s GDP. Mehbooba Mufti also urged the US to reconsider the advisory.
