Pakistan flags ‘incorrect’ India map in US trade deal post; US later deletes it
Islamabad raises concerns with Washington after US Trade Representative’s social media post depicts entire Jammu and Kashmir within India
Pakistan has reached out to the Trump administration after a map posted on the official X handle of the US Trade Representative showed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin as part of the Indian territory. The map, which marked a clear departure from Washington’s earlier depictions of the region, was deleted later.
Pak Foreign Ministry reaches out to US
According to media reports, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry reached out to US government officials regarding the map. The ministry further stated that it pointed out to Washington that the depiction of the region in the map was inaccurate and in contradiction to the representation of the region by the United Nations.
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“The map was put up by certain handles. We contacted US authorities. They realised that the map was incorrect. The international map of 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,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi during a media briefing as quoted by India Today.
Pak satisfied with US action
He further stated that Pakistan was satisfied that the US had made the required corrections in the map. “Pakistan notes with satisfaction that the US side made the requisite corrections to highlight the legal UN-sanctioned map of our region, which clearly delineates J&K as a disputed territory, whose settlement is to be done through a UN-administered plebiscite in accordance with UNSC resolutions,” added Andrabi.
The backdrop
India and the United States last week unveiled the contours of a trade framework that rolls back tariff levels and expands access to an economy valued at more than $ 30 trillion. In releasing details of the arrangement, the Office of the US Trade Representative also shared a map of India that showed the entire Jammu and Kashmir region, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), within Indian territory. The depiction further included Aksai Chin, an area claimed by China.
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The representation signalled a shift from the United States’ established approach in such matters. As questions gathered pace over whether the map reflected an oversight or a deliberate recalibration amid renewed engagement between the two sides, the US Trade Representative’s office subsequently removed the post from its official X handle, drawing the episode to a close.