Pakistan has said it contacted US authorities after the office of the US trade representative shared a map of India that showed the entire Jammu and Kashmir region, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin, an area claimed by China. The map differed from earlier versions issued by Washington that had taken Pakistan’s concerns into account, however, it was deleted four days later.
The image showed the whole Jammu and Kashmir region, including PoK, as part of India. It also depicted Aksai Chin, which China claims, within India’s boundaries. This depiction matched New Delhi’s long-standing position on its territorial claims.
ALSO READ | In India-US trade deal, a map does the talking on territories occupied by Pakistan, China
Pakistan says it reached out to US over the map
Facing embarassment over the post, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Islamabad had raised the matter with US officials. It called the map “illegal” and said it “noted with satisfaction” that Washington made the “requisite correction to highlight the legal UN-sanctioned map of our region.”
During a press briefing, Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs, told reporters that Pakistan had contacted US authorities.
“They realised that this map was illegal. The international map on J&K, which delineates Pakistani and Indian territories, is legally sanctioned by the UN. If you go to the UN website, you will see the actual map,” he said.
He added that Pakistan notes with satisfaction that “the US side made the requisite correction to highlight the legal UN-sanctioned map of our region, which clearly delineates Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory, whose settlement is to be done through a UN-administered plebiscite in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.”
The map controversy explained
In the past, maps issued by the US government or the state department often showed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir separately, broadly reflecting Islamabad’s position. This time, however, departing from that earlier practice, the Trump administration’s map did not make that distinction.
The removal of the post has now raised fresh questions about the issue. Neither India nor the United States has issued any official statement regarding the map.
