Indian Embassy Slams Foreign Media Report for Calling PoK ‘Pakistani Kashmir’
The Indian Embassy in the United States has strongly objected to a report by The New York Times that referred to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as “Pakistani Kashmir,” calling the terminology “misleading and incorrect.” In a public statement, the Embassy reiterated India’s longstanding position that there is “no Pakistani Kashmir,” asserting that the territory is an integral part of India that is under Pakistan’s illegal occupation.
Responding to the report, the Embassy said, “There is no Pakistani Kashmir, only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.” It further stated that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.” The statement also accused Pakistan of illegally occupying parts of these territories and using violence against people living in the occupied areas.
The diplomatic response came after The New York Times published a report on the ongoing unrest and elections in the region, using the phrase “Pakistani Kashmir” in its headline. India maintained that such terminology misrepresents the legal and historical status of the territory and urged international media to use accurate descriptions when reporting on the Kashmir issue.
The controversy comes amid heightened tensions in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where recent regional elections have been overshadowed by protests, allegations of electoral irregularities, and violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces. Reports indicate that the unrest has intensified following a crackdown on protesters, drawing international attention to developments in the region.
India has consistently maintained that the entire former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the territory administered by Pakistan, is an integral part of India. Pakistan, meanwhile, administers the region and disputes India’s claim. Because of this longstanding dispute, different governments, media organisations, and international bodies use varying terminology such as “Pakistan-administered Kashmir,” “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK),” or “Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” reflecting different editorial styles or political positions.
The Embassy’s remarks are the latest in a series of diplomatic responses by India challenging international references that it believes undermine its official position on Jammu and Kashmir. The issue has once again highlighted how terminology used by global media can become a point of diplomatic contention in one of South Asia’s most sensitive territorial disputes.
