India rejects Pakistan-China boundary joint commission, calls it ‘legally baseless’

India on Wednesday rejected the operationalisation of what it described as the “so-called Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission”, saying the mechanism has no legal basis and is “completely unacceptable” to New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs said Pakistan had no authority to enter into territorial arrangements involving areas that India considers part of its sovereign territory, reiterating its longstanding position on the status of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

India rejects commission

Responding to questions on the development, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had seen reports regarding the operationalisation of the joint commission and categorically rejected the move. New Delhi maintains that Pakistan and China do not share a legitimate boundary because the territory through which their claimed frontier runs is part of India. The government said Pakistan has no locus standi to negotiate or enter into arrangements concerning territory under what India describes as Islamabad’s illegal and forcible occupation.

1963 agreement flagged

India also reiterated its rejection of the 1963 China-Pakistan boundary agreement. Under that agreement, Pakistan transferred control of the Shaksgam Valley to China, a move New Delhi has consistently maintained was illegal and invalid. The Indian government says the agreement involved 5,180 sq km of territory in the Union Territory of Ladakh that was under Pakistan’s control and over which Islamabad had no legal authority to negotiate.

The MEA said India has never recognised the 1963 agreement and that the creation or operation of a new joint boundary mechanism cannot confer legitimacy on arrangements that New Delhi considers legally invalid.

Territorial position reiterated

The government reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always remain” integral and inalienable parts of India. New Delhi has repeatedly conveyed this position to both Pakistan and China and has opposed initiatives involving the disputed territories that it considers an infringement of Indian sovereignty.

India has similarly objected to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor because sections of the infrastructure project pass through Pakistan-administered territory claimed by India. New Delhi maintains that projects or agreements between third countries cannot alter its territorial claims or legitimise Pakistan’s control over the areas.

Fresh diplomatic friction

The boundary commission issue adds another point of friction involving India, Pakistan and China even as New Delhi and Beijing have sought to stabilise their bilateral relationship following years of tensions along the Line of Actual Control. India and China held the 25th round of Special Representatives’ talks on their own boundary question in August and have continued diplomatic and military engagement on border management.

India’s objection to the Pakistan-China commission, however, reflects its unchanged position that neither Islamabad nor Beijing can create arrangements affecting territory claimed by New Delhi through bilateral agreements between themselves.