In a major development on Thursday (12th February), the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan has confirmed that it has pleaded with the United States after the latter posted a correct image of the Indian map. This diplomatic scramble has reportedly left top officials, including General Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in an uncomfortable position as they dealt with the fallout of the viral image.

For the unversed, the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the US Trade Representative posted an infographic which rightfully showed Aksai Chin and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of India. The graphic was not just a lone image but served a specific commercial purpose. It was accompanied by the tweet, “From tree nuts and dried distillers’ grains to red sorghum and fresh and processed fruit, the U.S.-India Agreement will provide new market access for American products.”

This public display of India’s territorial integrity left Pakistan red-faced, which illegally claims its stake on the Indian territory of PoK. The situation prompted an immediate and vocal reaction from Islamabad. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi addressed the matter directly, explaining the efforts made to have the image taken down. He was heard saying, “As regards the map, yes, this map was put up at certain handles. We contacted the U.S. authorities. They realised that this map was illegal. The international map on Jammu and Kashmir, and as a result, the international map delineating Pakistan and Indian territories, is legally sanctified by the United Nations.”

Andrabi further elaborated on Pakistan's perspective, pointing toward international bodies to justify their protest. “If you go to the United Nations website, you will see the accurate map. We note with satisfaction that the U.S. side made the requisite correction to highlight the legal UN-sanctioned map of our region, which clearly delineates Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory whose settlement is to be done through a UN-administered plebiscite in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions,” he alleged.

After Pakistan begged the United States government, it deleted the said post depicting the map of India. This sudden removal came at a sensitive time, specifically just a week after both nations announced a framework for a trade deal.

U.S. Trade Office Reverses Course on India Map Featuring PoK and Aksai Chin; Removes Social Media Post

The US trade representative's office shared a map of India, including the entire Jammu and Kashmir region, with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and Aksai Chin, a region claimed by China, in a post on X on Saturday. This visual representation was seen by many as a significant nod toward New Delhi's sovereignty. However, four days later, the post has been deleted.

The U-turn move came on Wednesday after the US trade representative's office's X post caught many by surprise. Historically, Washington has been careful with such depictions. The map clearly differed from earlier maps shared by Washington, which were sensitive to Pakistan's concerns and had clearly marked PoK.

To be clear, the map showed the entire Jammu and Kashmir region, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as part of India, and depicted Aksai Chin, a region claimed by China, also within India. The demarcation was in line with New Delhi's long-held stance on its territorial integrity. While India has clearly stated that it does not require any external validation for its territorial claims, the US sharing such a map held a strategic value. It suggested that Washington had clearly and deliberately moved on from its previous representations.

However, the deletion of the post now brings a cloud of questions to the situation. The silence from official channels has only added to the mystery, as neither India nor the US has made any official remarks regarding the map.

Coincidentally, the White House has quietly revised its fact sheet on the India-US trade framework. This revision involved removing a claim that New Delhi would reduce tariffs on "certain pulses" and walking back assertions that India would remove digital services taxes and had "committed" to purchase $500 billion in American products.

The Significance of the Timing

Why did it matter? The timing of such a map, in line with India's territorial integrity, gained significance against the backdrop of an interim trade agreement with the US. This deal is part of a broader shift in economic relations. The trade deal has led the Trump administration to reduce the tariffs to 18 per cent, along with the removal of the 25 per cent penalty tariff imposed on New Delhi for its Russian oil purchases.

India’s Firm Position on PoK and Aksai Chin

For a long time now, India has reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of the country. The ministry of external affairs has, on many occasions, objected to and rejected maps shared by China, Pakistan, or any other third country that mark India's territorial boundaries otherwise.

At a global platform such as the United Nations, as well, India has clearly stated, "Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and will always be an integral part of India. Pakistan continues to illegally occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate." New Delhi had stated that Pakistan's repeated references neither validate their illegal claims nor justify their state-sponsored cross-border terrorism.

The struggle over maps is a recurring theme in the region. Previously, in a "standard map" released by China, the country had staked claim over Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin region, Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea. In November last year, after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed at the Shanghai airport over her Indian passport, the MEA expressed strong condemnation of the incident.

During the row, China had once again claimed its rights over Arunachal Pradesh and refuted allegations of the Indian woman's harassment. However, the MEA clearly asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, saying that it is a "self-evident fact." A spokesperson for the ministry emphasized the strength of this position, adding that "No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality."