As US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor arrived in Kashmir for a two-day visit, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that issues concerning the Union Territory have to be resolved by New Delhi and not Washington.
Referring to the US ambassador’s two-day visit to Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said he would discuss the prevailing situation with the visiting dignitary but would not approach Sergio Gor with complaints against the BJP-led union government.
Speaking to reporters after touring parts of Srinagar to review ongoing developmental works, Omar Abdullah said the US ambassador was visiting Jammu and Kashmir after a long time and that he would meet him later in the afternoon.
“I would prefer to listen to him. But he is also coming to listen to me. Let’s see what kind of conversation we will have,” Omar said.
Asked whether he would raise J&K’s issues with the US ambassador, the chief minister said, “Our problems have nothing to do with him. It is not my habit to complain to an ambassador of another country. Washington should not solve our problems. Our central government should solve our problems.”
Omar said he would speak about Jammu and Kashmir and the prevailing situation during the meeting but would not seek intervention from a foreign government.
Gor is on his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since taking charge as US ambassador and is scheduled to meet Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during his visit.
On allegations of corruption in appointments and protests against the government, Omar said his administration had no control over investigative agencies capable of probing such allegations.
“If we believe that what they are saying is right, we do not even have the power to hide it,” he said, adding that he did not control the police, Crime Branch or anti-corruption agencies.
He said that if there was evidence of corruption, the concerned agencies should investigate and register a case instead of making what he termed “baseless allegations”.
On waterlogging in Srinagar, the Chief Minister said the problem was a “legacy issue” and had not been created during the last two or five years.
He said colonies had come up without adequate drainage arrangements and that the government was now working retrospectively to create drainage infrastructure in such areas.
Omar said the administration had identified the “black spots” and the most vulnerable areas of Srinagar.
He added that during heavy rainfall warnings issued by the Meteorological Department, additional pumping arrangements would be made on an emergency basis, while long-term drainage projects were being undertaken by the Housing Department.
“As soon as we receive funding, we will arrange for drainage in these areas,” he said.
Mehbooba Urges US Envoy to Withdraw Kashmir Travel Advisory
Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday urged visiting US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor to review and withdraw the highest-level travel advisory against visiting Kashmir, saying it was affecting the livelihoods of families dependent on tourism.
In a post on X, Mufti said the least Gor could do was review and withdraw the travel advisory against Kashmir.
The least the US Ambassador Sergio Gor @USAmbIndia can do is review and withdraw the highest level travel advisory against visiting Kashmir.
For Kashmir, where thousands of families depend on tourism, the travel advisory on Kashmir is more than a warning , it is a wall…
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 19, 2026
“For Kashmir, where thousands of families depend on tourism, the travel advisory on Kashmir is more than a warning; it is a wall between Kashmir and the world,” she said.
Mufti said lifting the advisory would send “a powerful message of confidence”, help bring back international tourists and provide relief to families whose livelihoods depend on tourism.