Kashmir is claimed in full, but controlled only in part, by nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars and engaged in numerous clashes over the Himalayan region since 1947.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott visited Pakistani Kashmir along with an official from the UK Foreign Office on Jan. 10, India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has lodged a "strong protest" to the British High Commissioner to India about the visit, the ministry said, calling the trip "unacceptable".

A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This week's visit came as both India and Pakistan head to polls for elections this year.

(Reporting by M. Sriram; Additional reporting by Sarah Young in London; Editing by Helen Popper)