India rejects references to Jammu and Kashmir after China-Pakistan’s rants
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the reference to Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in the joint statement issued after the meeting of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 2.
During Pakistan PM’s 2-day visit to China, Sharif, who met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday, raked up the Kashmir issue. A joint statement was issued after the Chinese President and Pakistan had a meeting.
Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi affirmed that J&K will remain an integral part of India. In a swipe at China, he stressed that no other country had the locus standi to comment on India’s internal matter. India also took strong exception to CPEC projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The MEA spokesperson said, “We have noted that the joint statement which was released following the visit of the Pakistan PM to China contains several unwarranted references to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It also mentions the projects in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its extension to third countries. We have consistently rejected such statements and all parties concerned are well aware of our clear position on these matters. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be an integral and inalienable part of India.”
He added, “No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same. As regards the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, we have consistently conveyed our protests and concerns to China and Pakistan. CPEC includes projects under the sovereign territory of India that is under forcible and illegal external occupation. We resolutely reject any attempts to utilize such projects to change the status quo in the area. Any attempts to involve third parties in such activities are inherently illegal, illegitimate, and unacceptable.”
On the Kashmir issue, Pakistan and China’s joint statement read, “The two sides reiterated that a peaceful and prosperous South Asia is in the common interest of all parties. They emphasized the importance of resolving all outstanding disputes through sincere dialogue. The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a dispute left from history that should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and bilateral agreements.”
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