Diplomat expected to meet Manoj Sinha and Omar Abdullah during first high-level US ambassadorial visit since 2019
SRINAGAR: US special envoy for South and Central Asia and ambassador to India Sergio Gor is expected to visit Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday for meetings with senior regional officials, according to Indian media reports.
Gor is scheduled to arrive in Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon and meet Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, New Delhi’s top administrator in the territory, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Subsequently, he is expected to travel to Ladakh on Thursday.
The US Embassy in New Delhi has not publicly detailed Gor’s itinerary. However, the reported trip would mark the first high-level visit by a US ambassador to the disputed region since 2019.
Visit Comes Amid Renewed Focus on Kashmir
India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status in August 2019 and divided the former state into two federally administered territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Meanwhile, Kashmir remains a central dispute between Pakistan and India. Both countries administer parts of the territory but claim it entirely, while China controls Aksai Chin.
The visit also follows the May 2025 India-Pakistan military confrontation, which ended after four days of intense cross-border fighting.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed Washington helped secure the ceasefire. Pakistan has acknowledged the American role, while India maintains that the cessation of hostilities resulted from direct military-level communication.
Kashmiri Leader Calls for Wider Engagement
Furthermore, prominent Kashmiri cleric and political leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq welcomed Gor’s planned visit and urged him to engage with a broad cross-section of Kashmiri society.
Farooq said such engagement could help the US envoy understand the concerns and political aspirations of local people.
He also renewed his call for meaningful dialogue to address the longstanding Kashmir dispute.
The visit comes as India-Pakistan relations remain largely frozen despite earlier US statements that both countries had agreed to discuss broader outstanding issues following their 2025 confrontation.
