South Asia Notes: The US-India-Pakistan Triangle

by Elizabeth Roche August 30, 2026

By Elizabeth Roche August 30, 2026 0 comments 4 minutes read

Elizabeth Roche.

US Ambassador to India, Serio Gor, was on a two-day trip to Kashmir starting August 19. The visit was important as it was the first standalone one since India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Gor said that Kashmir “is an important part of India,” adding that his meeting with Abdullah had been a good one and he looked forward to “building this relationship forward.”

That statement sparked a lot of attention in India and Pakistan. Both claim Kashmir in full but administer it in parts. (There is a section is under Chinese control ceded by Pakistan to Beijing in 1963).

So, what’s the significance for India? Well, after decades of favoring Pakistan and echoing its position on Kashmir, Gor has finally accepted reality – that Kashmir is a part of India. Did we need this validation? Many quarters say no. But consider this – the US is still the pre-eminent power in the world today and its envoy to India accepting India’s position on Kashmir seven decades after its accession to India is significant. When any country questions Kashmir’s status, don’t we get upset? So, isn’t it significant that the US has finally chosen to see light? Do recall here US officials supporting independence for Kashmir, questioning the accession to India putting India in the dock for alleged human rights violations, the arms transferred to Pakistan that was used in wars against India, the offers of mediation, etc.

Yes, I concede that Gor saying this is one thing and the State Department and/or the White House throwing their weight behind the statement is quite another. The State Department and/or White House can very well walk back what Gor has said. Afterall, Pakistan is mediator in the US-Iran conflict and US President Donald Trump is looking for a way out of the Middle East crisis rather urgently. He mayn’t want Pakistan upset at this stage – never mind whether Pakistan can actually deliver what Trump wants. With Trump, there’s no way to predict when he could change his mind. Perhaps that’s why India’s External Affairs Ministry did not welcome Gor’s statement nor dismiss it; it just reiterated India’s position on Kashmir.

Does this one comment set right all the many things gone wrong between India and the US since January 2025? Doubt it. But it could be a start if endorsed.

For Pakistan, Gor’s comment must have come as a rude shock. Precisely because Islamabad has worked overtime to fix its relationship with the US and give itself an international image makeover. Islamabad did register a strong protest with the US mission in Islamabad. More importantly, Gor’s comment comes at a particularly awkward time – just when there is some international focus on the brutal crackdown in Pakistan’s so-called Azad (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. Media including the BBC and Al Jazeera have been banned from reporting, an internet shutdown was in place. If even a fraction of this was reported from Indian-Kashmir, Pakistan would sprung into action, “exposing” the alleged human rights violations and demanding that the UN take cognizance of Indian brutality. Guess its because it is “Azad” Jammu and Kashmir that it doesn’t require scrutiny?

Be that as it may, Gor’s comment is worth taking note of – if nothing else for the fact that he is the first ever US ambassador to do so. Now to wait and see if Washington takes this further…

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.