Kashmir Global Council condemns Sergio Gor’s mischaracterization of Kashmir
Urges US envoy to withdraw or clarify remarks
Toronto : The Toronto-based Kashmir Global Council has strongly condemned the statement attributed to United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor describing Jammu and Kashmir as an “important part of India.”
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement issued in Toronto, the council termed the remarks deeply insensitive, diplomatically irresponsible, and prejudicial to the internationally disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir. It said the statement disregarded the unresolved political future of the territory and the rights, aspirations, and lived experiences of its people.
“Jammu and Kashmir is not merely an internal administrative matter of India. Its unresolved status has been considered by the United Nations Security Council, addressed through multiple UN resolutions, and acknowledged historically as a dispute requiring a peaceful political settlement”, the council said.
It noted that UN Security Council Resolution 47 of 1948 envisaged determining the future of Jammu and Kashmir through the democratic expression of the will of its people.
The council stressed that no unilateral constitutional measure, administrative reorganisation, diplomatic visit or statement by a foreign official can alter the disputed character of Jammu and Kashmir or substitute for the freely expressed will of its people. “Political assertions cannot by themselves determine sovereignty or confer legitimacy upon disputed claims,” it maintained.
The Kashmir Global Council said Ambassador Gor’s remarks were particularly troubling because they came from a senior US representative, whose country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has historically supported dialogue and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
“By publicly adopting language closely aligned with the position of one party to the dispute, the ambassador risks undermining confidence in the United States as a responsible international actor capable of supporting peace, dialogue and respect for fundamental rights in South Asia,” it said.
The council emphasised that a diplomat’s visit to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir does not authorise him to pronounce on the territory’s final political status. It also cautioned against using tourism, investment, development or travel advisories to normalise an unresolved conflict or obscure its political and human rights dimensions.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are not objects whose political identity may be defined by external powers. They are the principal stakeholders in the dispute and possess the right to participate meaningfully in determining their political future,” it said, stressing that any sustainable resolution must place their voices, dignity, security, and fundamental freedoms at its centre.
The Kashmir Global Council called upon Ambassador Sergio Gor to withdraw or formally clarify his statement and acknowledge that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved and contested.
It also urged the United States and the international community to refrain from statements or actions that prejudge the territory’s final status and called for renewed international diplomatic attention to the Kashmir dispute.
The council appealed for a peaceful, just, democratic and inclusive process aimed at achieving an enduring settlement of the dispute.
