New Delhi (TIP)- India has conveyed its “concerns” to Washington on the US Ambassador to Pakistan’s visit to Gilgit and Baltistan, which India considers to be part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). “I think our position on the status of the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India is well known. We would urge the international community to respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have raised our concerns about that visit by the US Ambassador to Pakistan with the US side,” the Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, said while responding to questions at the weekly briefing on Thursday, October 5.
The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, travelled to Gilgit and Hunza valleys in the third week of September; the visit was flagged by Opposition parties in Pakistan. The American Embassy in Islamabad said the purpose of his visit was to “explore opportunities for strengthening the region’s climate resilience”. According to Pakistan newspaper, Dawn, the spokesperson of the US Embassy in Islamabad, Jonathan Lalley, said that Pakistan was among the most vulnerable countries with regard to climate change.
After Blome’s six-day visit, Pakistan’s Opposition leaders had said “the mysterious activities” of the US Ambassador in the region had raised questions, adding that the Gilgit Baltistan government was not aware of his visit.
After the matter became public, the US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, was asked for comments. “It’s not my place to react to the US Ambassador in Pakistan but he’s been before and we obviously had part of our delegation in Jammu and Kashmir during the G20 as well,” Garcetti said.
When the MEA spokesperson was asked about Garcetti’s comments, he replied: “We don’t think the two situations are equal”. Source: Indian Express