Pakistan, China dismiss India’s ‘territorial integrity’ protest over CPEC bus service

Pakistan and China have dismissed India’s protest over the proposed luxury bus service between the two countries. While India has asserted that the bus service will be a “violation of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, the Foreign Office of Pakistan accused New Delhi of trying to mislead the international community.

Just days after India strongly objected to the proposed bus service, the Foreign Office of Pakistan issued a statement saying, “We reject the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) purported protest and statement regarding bus service through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India’s repeated regurgitation of claims over India-held Kashmir can neither change the facts of history nor the legality of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.”

According to Pakistan-based Dawn News, India’s objection to the bus service through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was rejected by Pakistan, with the Pakistan Foreign Office saying that the “entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is disputed”. The statement by Islamabad said that the “final status is to be determined through a democratic and impartial plebiscite to be held under the auspices of the United Nations”.

The report also quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang as saying that the “CPEC is an economic cooperation initiative which targets no third country”. He further said that India’s objection would not change China’s position on the Kashmir issue.

On Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had objected to the proposed bus service.

He had said, “So-called China-Pakistan 'Boundary Agreement' of 1963 is illegal and invalid, and has never been recognised by the Government of India. Therefore, any such bus service through Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir will be a violation of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

According to reports, the new bus service will be launched between Lahore in Pakistan and Kashgar in China via Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on November 13.