India registers protest over China-Pak economic corridor; MEA says it 'passes through our sovereign territory'

Beijing has invested more than $60 billion in the CPEC project aimed at connecting the western China with the Pakistani port of Gwadar near Karachi.

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New Delhi: India on Friday expressed concern over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project being built in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and said that it violates the country's sovereignty.

Briefing the media on the issue, MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup said New Delhi has raised its concerns to both Pakistan and China, as the “CPEC passes through sovereign Indian territory”.

Beijing has invested more than $60 billion in CPEC aimed at connecting the western China with the Pakistani port of Gwadar near Karachi.

This ambitious multi-billion dollar joint venture is a combination of road and rail links that connect with Gwadar.

The venture has evoked a lot of reactions in India with some security analysts accusing China of encircling India to flex its geopolitical muscle in the region.

The project also passes through the restive Baluchistan province in Pakistan.

The Baloch people have been fighting for a sovereign homeland and have been accusing Islamabad of occupying their territory.

Popular public rebellions against the “Pakistani occupation” in the recent past were brutally crushed by the government, forcing many of their leaders to live in exile, including India and other countries.

Baluchistan is the largest province of Pakistan.