New Delhi: India on Thursday rejected “unwarranted” references to Jammu and Kashmir in the latest joint statement by China and Pakistan and asserted that Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain” its integral parts.
The joint statement was issued in Beijing on June 7 following talks between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
China and Pakistan on Saturday opposed any “unilateral action” for the resolution of all outstanding issues in South Asia as the visiting Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif briefed the Chinese leadership on the situation in Kashmir and discussed close ties enjoyed by their militaries.
Sharif concluded his four-day visit, the first after his second stint started in March, focussing on shoring up Chinese investments and assistance as his country faces an acute economic crisis.
A joint statement at the end of his trip said, Both sides underscore the importance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia, the need for resolution of all outstanding disputes, and their opposition to any unilateral action.
The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is left over from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements, it said.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, said, “We have noted unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement between China and Pakistan of June 7. We categorically reject such references.”
“Our position on the issue is consistent and well-known to the concerned parties. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India,” he said.
Jaiswal was responding to a media query on the joint statement. “No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA spokesperson also took strong note of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that featured in the joint statement.
“The same joint statement also mentions activities and projects under the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), some of which are in India’s sovereign territory under forcible and illegal occupation by Pakistan,” he said.
“We resolutely oppose and reject any moves by other countries to reinforce or legitimise Pakistan’s illegal occupation of these territories, impinging on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Jaiswal said.
