The thumb rule is that a thieved commodity never gives ownership to the thief not to speak of whether the thief tries to mortgage it, lease it out or deal in it and with it in any manner whatsoever. That can neither be acceptable nor tenable. The entire area of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir including Gilgit Baltistan belongs to India and the consistent policy of the Governments in India of whichever political combination or thought they be, have remained the same that Pakistan must vacate its illegal occupation of our territory . The China- Pakistan corridor passing through the PoK has been objected to and resisted by India and even very recently, while addressing the two days SCO meet in Tajikistan, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in presence of the snubbed Pakistan’s Foreign Minister expressed India’s concern and disapproval of this corridor in its entirety. China feeling its era of hegemonic role of arm-twisting the countries in the region was over, too has repeatedly been conveyed India’s concerns over the vexed corridor.
It is totally unacceptable that China and Pakistan should conceive of a proposal to operate a bus service between the two countries through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. That Pakistan illegally gifted more than 2500 Sq.Kms of Shamshaal of Hunza to China is reminiscent of how Pakistan dares to fiddle with parts of Indian Territory but under its occupation since 1947-48. It is also decided by the Pakistani Government where military is having its writ large to “lease out” for 50 years Gilgit Baltistan to China which has upset the local population over there including in PoK over such wicked proposals. Now a bus service proposed to be operated from Lahore to Xinjiang in China which has to pass through Pakistan occupied Kashmir is one more diabolic step taken by Pakistan. As per a Pakistani news agency, the 30 hour bus journey will be operated four times a week by a private transport agency.
Only on Oct 31, India lodged its strong protest with both China and Pakistan and the MEA spokesperson clarified that India has “a consistent and well known position” that so called China Pakistan “boundary agreement” of 1963 is illegal and invalid and has never been recognised by Government of India. Consequently any such bus service, “through Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir will be violation of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” We have fundamental objection to China’s belt and road initiative since one of its key pillars CPEC in Pakistan goes through Gilgit Baltistan notwithstanding Chinese response in usually being in the habit of denying that CPEC would change the status quo.
Pakistan, getting isolated day by day from the international comity of nations has only China as its “friend” and friendship with that country is on latter’s terms. Strangely every “bout” of such friendship is weighed by China as to how it benefitted from it economically from Pakistan. It is strange that Pakistan despite knowing it fully is no frugal in doling areas whether on gift, lease or allowing passage to China which belong to India, and are under Pakistan’s illegal and unwarranted occupation despite getting exposed internationally and facing protests and even snubbing by India periodically.
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