Days after China-Pakistan joint statement opposed ‘unilateral actions’ to resolve all outstanding issues issues in South Asia, including Kashmir, India on Thursday categorically rejected “unwarranted references” to Jammu and Kashmir in the China-Pakistan joint statement issued on 7 June.
In response to media queries on references to Jammu and Kashmir in the China-Pakistan joint statement, the MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s stance saying, “We have noted unwarranted references to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir in the joint statement between China and Pakistan of 07 June 2024. We categorically reject such references.”
He further said that India’s position on the issue is consistent and well-known to the concerned parties.
“The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has the locus standing to comment on the same,” he added.
The MEA’s statement comes at a time when Pakistan-backed terrorists groups have been fomenting terror in the Valley, with two terror-related incidents taking place in Doda in the last 24 hours and overall four in three days in Jammu and Kashmir. The rise in such incidents can also be attributed to the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, with terrorist groups looking to keep the Valley on the boil to fulfil their nefarious interests.
Shehbaz Sharif’s China visit
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded his four-day visit last weekend, the first after his second stint started in March, focusing on shoring up Chinese investments and assistance as his country faces an acute economic crisis.
A joint statement at the end of his trip said, “Both sides underscore the importance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia, the need for resolution of all outstanding disputes, and their opposition to any unilateral action.”
“The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is left over from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements,” it said.
India has previously also rejected such joint statements by China and Pakistan.
Pakistan-India ties
Pakistan downgraded its ties with India protesting the abrogation of Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
India has always maintained that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment that is free of terror and hostility for such an engagement.
With inputs from agencies
Link to article –
‘No locus standi’: India rejects China-Pak joint statement on Kashmir
