In a big statement on Wednesday, India rejected the so-called Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission that was operationalised earlier today in Islamabad and reiterated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are “inalienable” parts of India.
The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement categorically denied the existence of a boundary between Pakistan and China and said that the Commission exists “without any legal basis”.
“The entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. Pakistan has no locus standi to enter into arrangements concerning Indian territory under its illegal and forcible occupation”, the statement read.
India maintained that the so-called ‘China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement’ that was signed on March 2 in 1963 to demarcate the border between Xinjiang and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan 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”, the Foreign Ministry statement said.
It said that the so-called boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories is therefore “completely unacceptable” and would not affect India’s sovereignty over these areas.
India called on Pakistan to stop “engaging in such theatrics” and to vacate its territories that are under its illegal and forcible occupation.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal’s comments on the so-called boundary commission come after social media posts by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that the meeting of the Pakistan-China Boundary Join Commission was a “significant milestone” for bilateral relations.
According to the post, the so-called boundary commission between the two countries will pave the way for enhanced cooperation, joint border surveys, trade flows and connectivity.
“The inaugural meeting of the Commission was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, co-led by Mr. Li Ya, Deputy Director General (Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs) of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Director General (China) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan”, the post on X stated.