India on Tuesday criticised China and Pakistan for making a reference to Jammu and Kashmir in their joint statement and said that it expects other countries to not comment on its internal matters, PTI reported. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Pakistani counterpart Arif Alvi discussed Jammu and Kashmir at their meeting in Beijing, with China saying that it is “paying close attention” to the situation in the region.
“Both sides exchanged views on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” China and Pakistan’s joint statement read. “The Pakistan side briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments, including its concerns, position, and current urgent issues.”
In their joint statement, Pakistan and China said that the Kashmir dispute needs to be resolved “properly and peacefully”. “Kashmir issue was a dispute left from history, and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements,” the statement added. China said it opposes “any unilateral actions that complicate the situation” in Kashmir.
Responding to the statement, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter and other countries must respect India’s sovereignty. “We reject the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement issued by China and Pakistan after the recent visit of Pakistani president to China,” Kumar said, according to PTI. “We expect other countries including China not to comment on matters that are internal affairs of India and respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Kumar added that India is strongly opposed to outside interference in Jammu and Kashmir. “India is resolutely opposed to any actions by other countries to change the status quo in Pakistan occupied J&K,” he said. “We call on parties concerned to cease such actions. Such illegal activities will never be accepted by India.”
How India responded to other nations raising the J&K matter
India has fiercely criticised Pakistan for raising Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations after the Centre’s decision to scrap its special status in August last year and has repeatedly said that the region is an integral part of India.
Eleven days after Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was revoked, the United Nations Security Council conducted the first closed-door meeting even as India reiterated that Kashmir was an internal matter. It was the first time in over 50 years that the UN Security Council held a meeting exclusively to discuss Kashmir.
Pakistan had then claimed that it was not its “last step” with regard to Kashmir. After the meeting, Pakistan’s ally China said members of the Security Council had voiced deep concerns about the situation in the region, and hoped that the “relevant parties will exercise restraint and refrain from taking unilateral actions”.
India had also rejected United States President Donald Trump’s offer to help resolve the Kashmir dispute, saying there was “no role” for a third party mediating in the matter.
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