India slams Pak, China for referencing Kashmir as 'internal matter'

India on Saturday slammed Pakistan and China for their reference to Kashmir in a joint statement a day earlier describing the region as an “internal” matter and the reference as interference in New Delhi’s internal affairs.

New Delhi also took the opportunity to underline its opposition to the China-Pakistan economic corridor that is strand of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative and runs through a part of Kashmir that is under Pakistan’s control.

“As in the past, we categorically reject the reference to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the Joint Press Release of the second Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India and we expect the parties concerned to not to interfere in matters that are internal affairs of India,” foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said.

“At the same time we also reiterate our consistent position on the so-called ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor.’ India has repeatedly conveyed its concerns to both China and to Pakistan on the projects in so called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which are in the territory of India that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan,” he said.

“We resolutely oppose actions by other countries that change the status quo in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir and call on the parties concerned to cease such actions,” he added.

The reference to Kashmir was in the joint statement issued after the second Pakistan-China strategic dialogue. The joint statement said that both sides underlined that a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous South Asia was in common interest of all parties. Parties need to settle disputes and issues in the region through dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

“The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue is a dispute left over from history between India and Pakistan, which is an objective fact, and that the dispute should be resolved peacefully and properly through the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation,” the joint statement had said.

Pakistan’s foriegn minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and China’s foriegn minister Wang Yi had led their respective delegations to the talks which took place in Hainan.