The United States Trade Representative (USTR) office has removed a controversial map of India from its official X account after Pakistan filed a strong diplomatic protest, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.
The map accompanied a USTR press release announcing a framework for an interim US-India trade agreement. It showed the entire Jammu and Kashmir region — including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan — within Indian boundaries. Additionally, it depicted Aksai Chin as part of India, despite the territory remaining disputed between India and China.
The USTR posted the map on Friday evening and removed it by Monday evening, the first working day after the weekend. Pakistani officials said they raised the matter with the US Embassy in Islamabad and State Department officials in Washington. They stressed that the depiction contradicted Washington’s longstanding position that Jammu and Kashmir remains a disputed territory whose final status must align with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Officials familiar with the development said the map appeared to rely on Google Maps imagery, similar to a separate map used in a US-Bangladesh trade announcement. However, Pakistani authorities argued that even an outline map issued by a US government body carries political significance.
Trade Deal Overshadowed by Diplomatic Sensitivity
Indian media outlets highlighted the map as evidence of a potential US policy shift, prompting Islamabad to act swiftly to prevent misinterpretation. Although the USTR press release remains online, the specific map has been withdrawn.
The controversy surfaced as Washington and New Delhi unveiled the first phase of a bilateral trade framework. Under the agreement, the US will reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent after removing an additional 25 percent duty. US officials have not commented publicly on the map’s removal.
