India Rejects ‘So Called’ Pak China Boundary Commission Over J&K, Ladakh, Says It Has No Legal Basis

India on Wednesday rejected the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, saying it has no legal basis to deal with territories that India considers part of its sovereign territory and currently under Pakistan’s occupation.

The strong reaction came after the first meeting of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission in Islamabad. New Delhi said any arrangement between Pakistan and China concerning Indian territories would not affect India’s sovereignty or territorial claims.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s position on the issue was “clear and consistent” and rejected the newly formed body.

“There is no boundary between Pakistan and China. We reject the so-called Joint Commission, which is without any legal basis,” Jaiswal said.

India has never recognised the China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, under which Pakistan ceded certain areas, including the Shaksgam Valley, to China. New Delhi has consistently maintained that Pakistan had no legal authority to transfer territory that India claims as its own.

Jaiswal reiterated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India.

“We have never recognised the so-called ‘China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement’ of 1963 and have consistently maintained that it is illegal and invalid,” he said.

India also opposed any attempt by China and Pakistan to alter the status of occupied territories or legitimise what New Delhi describes as illegal occupation.

“Any so-called boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories would be completely unacceptable and would have no bearing whatsoever on India’s sovereignty over these territories,” Jaiswal said.

The issue is also linked to India’s opposition to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), parts of which pass through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. New Delhi has repeatedly objected to such projects, saying they disregard India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Jaiswal also called on Pakistan to vacate areas under its illegal and forcible occupation.

The latest development highlights the continuing dispute between India, Pakistan and China over territorial claims involving Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and the Shaksgam Valley.