India on Wednesday rejected the “so-called” Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, saying the body has no legal basis to decide on arrangements concerning Indian territory under what New Delhi calls illegal occupation.
The reaction came after the first meeting of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission was held in Islamabad.
India has consistently rejected the China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, under which Pakistan ceded certain territories, including the Shaksgam Valley, to China. New Delhi has also opposed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as parts of the project pass through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“Our position on this matter is clear and consistent. There is no boundary between Pakistan and China. We reject the so-called Joint Commission, which is without any legal basis,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
He said the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India”.
India rejects 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement
Jaiswal said India has never recognised the “so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement” of 1963 and has consistently maintained that it is “illegal and invalid”.
“We resolutely oppose and reject any attempts to alter the status of these occupied territories or legitimise illegal occupation, impinging on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
The spokesperson said any boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories would be unacceptable to New Delhi and would have no bearing on India's sovereignty over the territories.
“Any so-called boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories would be completely unacceptable and would have no bearing whatsoever on India's sovereignty over these territories,” Jaiswal said.
He also called on Pakistan to vacate areas under what India describes as its “illegal and forcible occupation”.
“Instead of engaging in such theatrics, we call on Pakistan to immediately vacate areas under its illegal and forcible occupation,” Jaiswal said.
