New Delhi: India has strongly rejected references to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan, asserting that the region remains an integral and inalienable part of the country.
In response to media queries, the External Affairs Ministry said that India “categorically rejects unwarranted references” to Jammu & Kashmir in the statement, reiterating that India’s position on the matter is “consistent and well known.”
Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underlined that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain” an integral part of India, adding that no other country has the locus standi to comment on them.
India issued a strong rebuttal after China and Pakistan mentioned developments in Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement released following Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Beijing from May 23 to 26.
India also opposed references linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), stating that some of the projects fall within India’s sovereign territory.
The statement said India “resolutely opposes and rejects” any attempt by other countries to legitimise Pakistan’s “illegal and forcible occupation” of these areas, adding that the position has been repeatedly conveyed to both Pakistani and Chinese authorities.
On references to “trans-boundary water resources cooperation” between China and Pakistan, India said the two countries do not share a boundary, and therefore, such cooperation does not arise. It also reiterated that India has never recognised the 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China.
