The map, shared with a USTR press release about an interim US-India trade deal, showed Jammu and Kashmir, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as part of India.

It also depicted China’s Aksai Chin region within Indian boundaries. Pakistani officials immediately registered their Pakistan Protest, highlighting that such depictions contradict the US’s long-standing position on disputed territories.

Diplomatic sources confirmed that the Pakistan Protest was delivered both to the US Embassy in Islamabad and to the State Department in Washington.

They stressed that even an outline map from a US government office carries significant political and diplomatic weight.

The map appeared to be sourced from Google Maps. Unlike a similar map used for a Bangladesh trade release, this Controversial Map of India was swiftly removed after the Pakistan Protest sparked media attention and diplomatic discussions.

Indian media had picked up the map, claiming it signaled a shift in US policy supporting India’s claims. Pakistani officials warned that ignoring the Pakistan Protest could mislead the international community and damage the US’s neutral stance on Kashmir.

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The map incident coincided with a US-India trade deal announcement, where tariffs on Indian goods will drop to 18 per cent, with reciprocal US tariffs also expected to decrease. The Controversial Map of India issue reminded all parties that visuals related to disputed regions carry heavy diplomatic consequences.