The ministry of external affairs on Thursday, June 13, condemned the references of Jammu and Kashmir in the China-Pakistan joint statement calling it 'unwarranted'.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during the media queries on references to Jammu & Kashmir in the China-Pakistan Joint Statement, said, "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. Our 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."
"The same joint statement also mentions activities and projects under the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, some of which are in India's sovereign territory under forcible and illegal occupation by Pakistan," the statement read.
The MEA said, "It resolutely opposes and rejects any moves by other countries to reinforcer legitimise Pakistan's illegal occupation of these territories, impinging on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
China and Pakistan released a joint statement after Shehbaz Sharif talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Kashmir issue. The joint statement said both China and Pakistan underscored 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.