American ambassador to Islamabad Donald Blome stirred up a big row in India after he embarked on a trip to Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Sunday.
The unannounced visit came to light after the American embassy in Islamabad tweeted pictures of Blome visiting a historical site near Muzaffarabad, the biggest city in the region. It was the American ambassador’s maiden trip to this region, which Islamabad refers to as ‘Azad (free) Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)’.
“The Quaid-e-Azam (meaning great leader, used to refer to Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Jinnah) Memorial Dak Bungalow symbolizes the cultural and historical richness of Pakistan and was famously visited by Jinnah in 1944. I’m honored to visit during my first trip to AJK,” Blome said.
The Ambassador recalled that the building had been damaged during an earthquake in 2005, as he lauded the local government’s efforts in “beautifully” restoring the site.
“The US has helped to restore 32 historic and cultural sites around Pakistan, totaling more than $7.1 million. These projects show the respect & admiration the U.S. has for Pakistan, its culture, and its people,” Blome stated.
On Monday, the US Embassy posted more pictures of Blome’s ongoing trip to the region. According to the embassy, Blome visited the 17th century Muzaffarabad Fort as well as met several local artisans during his engagements.
A tweet by the U.S. Embassy Islamabad
© Photo : Twitter/ @usembislamabad
Calling the region ‘AJK’, however, hasn’t gone down well with many Indians, who have cautioned the American diplomat that such a usage is “ill-advised”.
Another Indian social media user questioned Washington whether it has officially recognized PoK as ‘AJK’. "PoK is Azad Kashmir. The official position of the natural ally of India?" asked the user.
“How sweet. India thanks you for this gesture. That is Indian land forcefully occupied by Pakistan, that will one day return to us,” Smita Prakash, the editor of ANI News Agency, wrote sarcastically.
The criticism of American envoy comes against the backdrop of growing concerns in India about rising defense and political ties between US and Pakistan.
During a visit to Washington last month, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar questioned the “merits” of US-Pakistan defense cooperation weeks after Washington approved a $450 million sustenance package for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jet fleet.
At an event in Gujarat over weekend, Jaishankar renewed his criticism about Pakistan, calling it an “expert in international terrorism”.
On the other hand, the US designated India as a “major defense partner” in 2016 and has described New Delhi as a key partner in its Indo-Pacific Strategy which was declassified in 2020 before former president Donald Trump left office.
Indian observers have questioned the logic of US designating India as a ‘key’ partner on the one hand while overlooking New Delhi’s concerns on the Kashmir issue.
Earlier this year, New Delhi came down heavily on US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar for undertaking a visit to Pakistan-administered Kashmir. At the time, the Indian Foreign Ministry accused Omar of “violating India’s sovereignty."