Why Sergio Gor's Kashmir remark is significant: Pakistan's sharp response, US travel advisory review

US ambassador to India Sergio Gor’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir has put the spotlight on two developments — his remarks describing the Union territory as “ an important part of India ” and a subsequent reaction from Pakistan .

Gor, considered a close aid to US President Donald Trump, made the comments in Srinagar after meeting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah . During his visit, he also indicated that the US could reconsider its travel advisory for the region, saying Washington would assess whether the current warning could be downgraded.

Pakistan on Wednesday summoned the US charge d'affaires in Islamabad over remarks by US ambassador. Later, its foreign ministry said it “strongly condemned” Gor's remarks and described them as “irresponsible”.

“It was underscored that Jammu and Kashmir is…awaiting final disposition in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” the ministry said.

The US ambassador's comments came during his meeting with Omar Abdullah and his first visit to J&K. Speaking to reporters, the US ambassador said, “This is an important part of India and so I'm here visiting for the first time. It's an incredibly beautiful place, and so I'm thrilled to be here, thrilled to see this place.”

He described his meeting with Abdullah as “good” and said there were “some follow-ups” that he would “take back to Washington”.

“But, a very warm, very cordial, and we look forward to building this relationship forward,” Gor said.

The other major takeaway from Gor's visit was his comments on the US travel advisory for Jammu and Kashmir.

The US State Department currently maintains a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for J&K, citing security concerns. The advisory has remained a major hurdle for international tourism, particularly after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April last year that killed 25 tourists and a local resident.

Gor suggested that Washington was now looking at whether the advisory could be downgraded, pointing to what he described as improvements in the security situation.

“The United States puts out travel warnings and every so often we re-evaluate those travel warnings. I cannot make any big announcements here today, but it is something that we are going to look at,” he said.

He added, “New Delhi, the chief minister here (J&K), and the government here, we believe, have made some incredible steps to keep this area safer and make it more secure. So we will be looking at whether the travel warnings recommended by the US are something that should be downgraded. This is a beautiful area. I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty and opportunity that exists here.”

A downgrade could give a boost to Kashmir's tourism industry by signalling greater confidence in the region's security to potential international visitors.

Gor's comments also came after former J&K chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti urged him to review the US advisory.