'Pakistan's illegal occupation': India rebukes Beijing-Islamabad statement over J&K mention

India on Tuesday slammed references to Jammu and Kashmir in the latest joint statement issued by China and Pakistan following talks between Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, asserting that the Union Territory “have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India.”

Responding to media queries, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “categorically rejects” the “unwarranted references” to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement.

Also read: China-Pakistan statement mentions Jammu & Kashmir — and quietly endorses India’s bilateral framework

“India’s position is consistent and well known to the concerned parties. The Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has the locus standi to comment on the same,” Jaiswal said.

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India also objected to references concerning the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), reiterating that some of the projects are located in Indian territory under Pakistan’s “illegal and forcible occupation”.

“We resolutely oppose and reject any moves by other countries to reinforce or legitimise Pakistan’s illegal and forcible occupation of these territories, impinging on India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the MEA said, adding that its concerns had been conveyed to both Pakistan and China on several occasions.

The MEA further rejected references to “trans-boundary water resources cooperation” between China and Pakistan, stating that the two countries do not share any boundary.

“As the two countries do not share any boundary, the question of so-called ‘trans-boundary water resources cooperation’ does not arise. India has never recognized the so-called 1963 boundary agreement between Pakistan and China,” Jaiswal said.

The reaction came after China and Pakistan once again raised the Kashmir issue in a joint statement released after bilateral talks in Beijing. According to the statement issued by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, Islamabad briefed Beijing on the latest developments in Jammu and Kashmir, while China reiterated that the issue was “left over from history” and should be resolved peacefully in line with the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.

The wording in the latest statement is similar to the one issued in 2024, which had also described Jammu and Kashmir as a historical issue requiring peaceful resolution.

India has consistently opposed attempts by Pakistan to internationalise the Kashmir issue and has repeatedly maintained that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of the country.