India on Wednesday firmly rejected the so-called Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission operationalised in Islamabad, reiterating that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. New Delhi also made it clear that any arrangement between Pakistan and China concerning territories under Pakistan’s control cannot alter India’s sovereignty over them.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the commission has “no legal basis” from India’s perspective, stressing that Pakistan cannot enter into arrangements involving Indian territory under what New Delhi describes as Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation. India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh remain an integral part of the country.
India rejects China-Pakistan boundary arrangement
The MEA also reiterated India’s position on the China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of March 2, 1963, under which Pakistan and China reached an agreement concerning the boundary between China’s Xinjiang region and territory then under Pakistani control in the northern areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi maintains that the agreement is “illegal and invalid” because Pakistan had no authority to enter into such an arrangement concerning Indian territory. The Indian government has previously stated that it has never recognised the 1963 agreement.
India said it “resolutely oppose[s] and reject[s]” attempts to alter the status of these territories or legitimise what it considers Pakistan’s illegal occupation, arguing that such moves impinge upon India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The MEA further asserted that any China-Pakistan cooperation concerning these areas would be unacceptable to India and would not affect India’s sovereignty over the territories.
Pakistan describes commission as a bilateral milestone
India’s response came after Pakistan announced the operationalisation of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission in Islamabad.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the inaugural meeting was co-led by Li Ya, Deputy Director General of China’s Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, and Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Director General (China) in Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.
Islamabad described the commission as a “significant milestone” in Pakistan-China relations and said it would facilitate greater cooperation, including joint border surveys, trade flows and connectivity.
The move has particular significance for India because the China-Pakistan frontier runs through areas that New Delhi regards as Indian territory under Pakistani occupation. India’s objection therefore goes beyond the creation of a bilateral mechanism: it challenges the premise that Pakistan and China can jointly undertake boundary-related arrangements concerning these territories.
New Delhi tells Pakistan to vacate occupied territory
India has called on Pakistan to stop what it described as “such theatrics” and instead vacate the territories under its illegal and forcible occupation.
The latest statement is consistent with India’s longstanding position that Pakistan cannot confer legitimacy on its control over parts of Jammu and Kashmir through agreements with third countries. New Delhi has also repeatedly objected to Chinese projects and activities undertaken in these territories, particularly those associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The latest development thus adds another point of contention to the already disputed India-Pakistan and India-China territorial landscape, with New Delhi making clear that any Pakistan-China boundary mechanism involving the territory claimed by India will not receive India’s recognition.
