The Ministry of External Affairs also challenged Pakistan’s authority to make agreements involving territory claimed by India and told Islamabad to immediately vacate areas that New Delhi says remain under its illegal occupation. India on Wednesday rejected the ‘so-called’ Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, saying it has no legal basis and that no boundary exists between Pakistan and China.
Islamabad said the mechanism would cover matters including border management and joint surveys. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi’s position had not changed. We reject the so-called Joint Commission, which is without any legal basis,” Jaiswal said in response to media queries. Jaiswal said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India and rejected Pakistan’s authority to enter into agreements concerning territory held by it. The two leaders expressed support for a “fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable” settlement of the India-China boundary question, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The sharp response came after Pakistan and China operationalised their Boundary Joint Commission. India rejected the premise of the commission itself. “We have seen reports in this regard. Our position on this matter is clear and consistent. There is no boundary between Pakistan and China. The statement puts the territorial dispute at the centre of the new Pakistan-China mechanism. India’s position is that Pakistan cannot enter into such arrangements over territory that New Delhi claims as its own. Pakistan disputes India’s position on Kashmir. China also has territorial disputes with India in the region. New Delhi’s latest statement was directed at the legal basis claimed for bilateral Pakistan-China boundary arrangements involving territory India claims.
