India Rejects Pakistan-China Boundary Commission, Calls 1963 Pact ‘Illegal And Invalid’

India has rejected the Pakistan-China Boundary 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) on Wednesday dismissed the commission after Pakistan announced that it had activated the joint body with China to strengthen border management, conduct joint surveys and promote trade.

Jaiswal said India had seen reports about the Pakistan-China joint commission but rejected it, maintaining that Pakistan and China do not share a legally recognised border. “The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always remain integral and indivisible parts of India,” Jaiswal said.

The MEA maintained that Pakistan has no right or basis to enter into any arrangement concerning territories that are under its illegal and forcible occupation. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry had earlier posted about the functioning of the Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission following a meeting in Islamabad.

According to Pakistan, the two countries activated the commission to work on border management, joint surveys and measures aimed at boosting trade. Rejecting the development, Jaiswal said India has never recognised the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement, describing it as “illegal and invalid”.

He called on Pakistan to immediately vacate the Indian territories that are under its illegal and forcible occupation. Jaiswal said India would firmly oppose any attempt to alter the status of territories under Pakistan's illegal occupation or legitimise that occupation.

“Such attempts impinge on India's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said. The MEA further warned that any purported border cooperation between China and Pakistan concerning Indian territories would be “completely unacceptable”.