On Wednesday, India firmly rejected the newly established Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, which was launched in Islamabad earlier that day. The Indian government reiterated its stance that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are ‘inalienable’ parts of India, emphasizing its territorial claims in the region.
“The inaugural meeting of the Commission was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, co-led by Mr. Li Ya, Deputy Director General (Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs) of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary, Director General (China) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan”, the post on X stated.
The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement categorically denied the existence of a boundary between Pakistan and China and said that the Commission exists “without any legal basis”. “We resolutely oppose and reject any attempts to alter the status of these occupied territories or legitimise illegal occupation, impinging on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, the Foreign Ministry statement said. It said that the so-called boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories is therefore “completely unacceptable” and would not affect India’s sovereignty over these areas. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal’s comments on the so-called boundary commission come after social media posts by Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that the meeting of the Pakistan-China Boundary Join Commission was a “significant milestone” for bilateral relations.
