New Delhi: India on Tuesday hit out at China and Pakistan for referring to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement that described the Valley issue as a dispute left from history and should be peacefully settled through dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and equality.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: “We reject the reference to Jammu & Kashmir in the joint statement issued by China and Pakistan after the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister. J&K is an integral part of India.”
He added, “On the other hand, India has consistently expressed concerns to both China and Pakistan on the projects in so-called 'China Pakistan Economic Corridor', which is in the territory of India that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1947.”
Kumar said: “India is resolutely opposed to any actions by other countries to change the status quo in Pakistan occupied J&K.”
Relations between India and Pakistan have been particularly strained after the Narendra Modi government decided to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide it into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh.
Criticising the move, Pakistan expelled India’s high commissioner Ajay Bisaria and suspended trade ties. It also sought to internationalise the Kashmir issue, with just its all-weather ally China supporting it.
India has specified that Kashmir is an internal issue and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.
Pakistan and China on Sunday discussed the Kashmir issue and underlined the need to settle disputes in the region through dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and equality, as Beijing reaffirmed its support for its all-weather ally in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a joint press release issued at the conclusion of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's two-day visit to Pakistan, the two countries emphasised that their all-weather strategic ties would remain unaffected by any regional or international situation.
The two sides underlined that a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia is in the common interest of all parties. "Parties need to settle disputes and issues in the region through dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and equality," the statement said.
Pakistan and China exchanged views on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation, including its concerns, position, and "urgent humanitarian issues".
The Chinese side responded that it was paying close attention to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation, according to the statement.
Comments
0 comment