Reject reference to Jammu and Kashmir in Sino-Pak statement: Centre

New Delhi:

India on Thursday strongly rejected the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the China-Pakistan joint statement issued during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to Beijing and insisted that Ladakh, along with the Union Territory, is “inseparable” and always will be. integral” part of India.

Referring to the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said New Delhi has consistently conveyed its “protests and concerns” to Beijing and Islamabad over the CPEC as it includes projects on sovereign territory. India.

Mr Bagchi said India “strongly rejects” any attempt to use such projects to change the status quo in the region and any attempt to involve third parties in such activities is “inherently illegitimate, illegal and unacceptable”.

A joint statement was issued on Wednesday following talks between Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr. Bagchi said India noted in the joint statement that there were several “redundant references” to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and also to the so-called CPEC and its expansion projects in third countries.

“We have consistently rejected such statements and all parties concerned are well aware of our clear stand on the matter. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh will and will remain an integral and indivisible part of India. No other country. Position to comment on the same There is,” he added.

“Regarding the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, we have consistently conveyed our protest and our concerns to China and Pakistan. CPEC includes projects in India’s sovereign territory under forcible and illegal external occupation.” In his talks with President Xi, Sharif reaffirmed his government’s desire to “commit to high-quality development” of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and highlighted CPEC’s progress in Pakistan’s economic and social development, according to the joint statement.

The statement said the Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a “dispute left out of 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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