India has rejected the Pakistan China Boundary Joint Commission, stating that Pakistan has no legal standing to make arrangements involving Indian territory that New Delhi says remains under illegal and forcible occupation.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the statement while responding to media questions yesterday. He said India had taken note of reports regarding the matter and reiterated that the country’s position remains clear and consistent. He stated that there is no recognised boundary between Pakistan and India in the context referred to and said New Delhi considers the Pakistan China Boundary Joint Commission to have no legal basis.

Jaiswal reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, and will continue to be, integral and inalienable parts of India. He also said India has never recognised the so called 1963 China Pakistan Boundary Agreement and has consistently maintained that the agreement is illegal and invalid.

The MEA spokesperson said India firmly opposes any effort to change the status of territories under occupation or to provide legitimacy to what it considers illegal occupation. New Delhi also called on Pakistan to vacate the areas that India says are under its illegal and forcible occupation, rather than taking what it described as theatrical measures.