India rejected the newly Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission, saying the mechanism has no legal basis and cannot have any bearing on India’s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also reiterated that India has never recognised the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement.
‘No Legal Basis’, Says India
Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s position was “clear and consistent” and rejected what New Delhi described as the “so-called” joint commission. Jaiswal said India considers the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to be integral and inalienable parts of the country. He also said Pakistan has no basis, according to India, to enter into arrangements concerning territory that New Delhi says is under Pakistan’s illegal occupation. India further reiterated that it has never recognised the China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963 and considers it “illegal and invalid.” New Delhi said any boundary cooperation between China and Pakistan involving Indian territories would be unacceptable and would not affect India’s position on sovereignty.
Joint Commission Holds Inaugural Meeting
The remarks came after the inaugural meeting of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission was held in Islamabad. The body was reportedly co-led by Chinese Foreign Ministry official Li Ya and Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry Director General (China) Bilal Mahmood Chaudhary. The development has added another layer to the longstanding territorial disagreements involving India, Pakistan and China.
Comes After Modi-Xi BRICS Meeting
India’s response also comes days after the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties and the India-China boundary question, with both sides referring to the importance of maintaining peace and stability along the border. The latest diplomatic exchange comes as India and China continue discussions on their boundary issues while Pakistan and China maintain close strategic ties.
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Shamshad Ali is a New Delhi–based journalist with over six years of experience spanning breaking news writing, on-the-ground reporting, and editing. When he isn’t chasing headlines, Shamshad is usually exploring new destinations, discovering hidden culinary gems, and striking up conversations with strangers. Many of whom turn out to be great sources, and even better friends. He can be reached at shamshadali.dar@gmail.com.
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