Pakistan moved swiftly to approach US authorities after a trade deal post carried a map showing PoK and Aksai Chin within India’s borders. Islamabad termed the depiction incorrect and said it did not reflect the legal UN position. Washington deleted the post without detailed clarification. For India, the image briefly echoed its long-standing stance that the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, including PoK, is integral to the country. The timing is critical, coming amid a reset in India-US trade ties and an escalating diplomatic war of words over Shaksgam Valley and CPEC 2.0. China has defended its infrastructure activity, while India has rejected the 1963 Pakistan-China agreement as illegal. The deleted map may be gone, but it has amplified an already intensifying strategic contest in the region.