Pakistan and China operationalised their Boundary Joint Commission on Wednesday, focusing on border management and surveys.
India rejected the commission, saying it has no legal basis and cannot concern Indian territories.
New Delhi said it has never recognised the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement, calling it illegal and invalid.
India Rejects 'So-called' Pakistan-China Boundary Commission, Says It Has No Legal Basis
India said Pakistan has no locus standi to enter into arrangements concerning Indian territory, rejecting the operationalisation of a joint boundary commission with China
Summary
India on Wednesday rejected the so-called Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, saying it has no legal basis and that Pakistan has no right to enter into arrangements concerning Indian territory.
Responding to media queries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India’s position was “clear and consistent” and that there is no boundary between Pakistan and China.
What Pakistan Announced ?
Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry posted on X about the inaugural meeting between Pakistan and China on the operationalisation of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission.
“In a significant milestone for Pakistan-China relations, the two sides today operationalised the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission,” the ministry said.
It said the commission would facilitate greater cooperation in border management, joint border surveys, trade flows and people-to-people connectivity.
India said Pakistan has no locus standi to enter into arrangements concerning Indian territory under its “illegal and forcible occupation”.
'Illegal And Invalid'
The MEA said India has never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963 and has consistently maintained that it is “illegal and invalid”.
The ministry said India opposed attempts to alter the status of the occupied territories or legitimise what it described as illegal occupation, saying such moves would impinge on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Any so-called boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories would be completely unacceptable,” the MEA said, adding that such arrangements would have no bearing on India’s sovereignty over these territories.
The MEA reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India”.
The ministry also called on Pakistan to immediately vacate the territory under what India described as its illegal and forcible occupation.
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