What Happened
- The US Trade Representative (USTR) removed a map of India from its official social media account that showed the entire Jammu & Kashmir (including PoK and Aksai Chin) as Indian territory.
- The map was posted on February 7, 2026, alongside the announcement of a US-India interim trade agreement framework, and was deleted by February 10 after Pakistan lodged a strong diplomatic protest.
- Pakistan conveyed its objections to the US Embassy in Islamabad and the State Department in Washington, calling the depiction "incorrect."
- The map had also shown Arunachal Pradesh within Indian boundaries, which was consistent with India's official territorial claims but deviated from the US practice of using dotted lines to depict the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- The USTR has not publicly commented on the removal; a similar map accompanying a Bangladesh trade announcement remained online, suggesting the India map may have been posted in error.
Static Topic Bridges
India's Territorial Claims and International Cartographic Practice
India's official position, codified in the Survey of India maps and reaffirmed by Parliament, is that the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir (including areas administered by Pakistan and China) is an integral part of India. International organisations and foreign governments, however, typically depict the LoC and LAC with dotted lines indicating disputed status.
- India enacted the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961 (Section 2), which makes it an offence to publish maps of India that do not conform to official boundaries.
- The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill (proposed) sought to regulate the depiction of Indian boundaries in digital maps.
- Pakistan controls Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan; China controls Aksai Chin (37,244 sq km) and the Shaksgam Valley (5,180 sq km, ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963).
- The US has traditionally used dotted lines or disclaimers on maps involving J&K, reflecting its position that the territory's final status is to be determined.
Connection to this news: The USTR's initial use of India's official map (and subsequent deletion) highlights the sensitive diplomatic fault lines around cartographic representations of J&K, where Indian territorial claims intersect with international positions on the dispute.
India-US Trade Relations and Bilateral Trade Framework
India-US bilateral trade has grown significantly, reaching approximately $191 billion in 2024-25. The announcement of an interim trade agreement framework in February 2026 marks a new phase in economic engagement, aiming to reduce tariff barriers and improve market access.
- The US is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral merchandise trade exceeding $120 billion and services trade over $70 billion.
- Key trade irritants include India's tariffs on agricultural products (previously 50%, now reduced under the interim framework), US concerns about India's data localisation policies, and India's concerns about H-1B visa restrictions.
- The interim framework reportedly reduces Indian tariffs on select US agricultural products (tree nuts, dry distillers grains) from 50% to 18%.
- The trade deal context makes the map incident particularly significant, as it occurred alongside a major bilateral economic announcement.
Connection to this news: The map controversy illustrates how territorial sensitivities can intersect with economic diplomacy, with the USTR's cartographic choice becoming a focal point of Pakistan's diplomatic objection to what was meant to be a trade-focused announcement.
Pakistan's Diplomatic Leverage and J&K Internationalisation
Pakistan has consistently sought to internationalise the Kashmir issue through bilateral diplomacy, multilateral forums (UNGA, OIC, UNHRC), and engagement with third-party governments. Any cartographic or policy shift by a major power on J&K is closely monitored and contested by Islamabad.
- Pakistan raises the Kashmir issue regularly at the UN General Assembly and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
- India's position is that J&K is a bilateral issue under the Simla Agreement (1972) and the Lahore Declaration (1999), not subject to third-party mediation.
- After the abrogation of Article 370 (August 2019), Pakistan escalated its internationalisation campaign, downgrading diplomatic relations with India and raising the issue at multiple international platforms.
- The US has historically avoided taking sides on the territorial dispute while maintaining that the LoC should be respected and tensions reduced.
Connection to this news: Pakistan's swift protest and the subsequent deletion of the map demonstrate Islamabad's continued vigilance in contesting any international cartographic representation that could be seen as endorsing India's sovereignty claims over the entire J&K region.
Key Facts & Data
- The USTR map showed J&K (including PoK and Aksai Chin) and Arunachal Pradesh within Indian boundaries.
- Pakistan controls approximately 78,114 sq km of J&K (AJK + Gilgit-Baltistan).
- China controls Aksai Chin (37,244 sq km) and the Shaksgam Valley (5,180 sq km, ceded by Pakistan in 1963).
- India-US bilateral trade reached approximately $191 billion in 2024-25.
- The interim trade framework reduces select Indian agricultural tariffs from 50% to 18%.
- The US has traditionally used dotted lines to depict the LoC and LAC on maps.
- The Simla Agreement (1972) designates J&K as a bilateral India-Pakistan issue.