Exiled PoK leader condemns Chinese intrusion in Ladakh

Exiled leader from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri has strongly condemned the Chinese intrusion in Ladakh and said the current standoff and escalating tension between Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control is very sensitive and dangerous to peace and security in the region.

Kashmiri, the Chairman of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) said, “In 1947, the legitimate ruler of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir wanted independence but Pakistan did not respect and honor the right to self-determination of people. On October 22, 1947, it invaded Jammu and Kashmir which resulted in forced division and destruction that continues till date.”

“In 1950, China began constructing a road through Aksai Chin in the northeastern part of Ladakh. That road, now named NH 219, was a gravel pavement that China constructed during the mid-1950s. China kept expanding its presence in Aksai Chin. In 1962, China occupied more territory of Jammu and Kashmir during the India-Sino war,” said Kashmiri.

In 1963, Pakistani military ruler, General Ayyub Khan, gifted thousands of square miles land of Jammu and Kashmir to China.

The Sino-Pakistan Agreement is a 1963 document between the governments of Pakistan and China establishing the border between those countries, Pakistan recognizing Chinese sovereignty over hundreds of square kilometers of land in Northern Kashmir and Ladakh, which is a disputed territory according to United Nations resolutions.

The PoK leader further said that Pakistan has no locus standi on Jammu and Kashmir and hence, it must “not involve in conspiracies of further division and occupation of our territories.”

Kashmiri said that China-Pakistan relations are simple and complicated at the same time.

Beijing never remained in a position nor was it willing to fight Pakistan’s wars. Nevertheless, Pakistan’s fractured relations with the United States enhanced its military cooperation, and now it is very much dependent on China.

“This is why Pakistan gave free hand to China to construct China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other mega projects in the disputed territories of Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, these areas are neither a part of Pakistan nor an independent entity but a disputed territory and part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Kashmiri expressed that Pakistan has always played a double-game with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Constitution of Pakistan, on the one hand, says that the future of Jammu and Kashmir shall be decided according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people, while on the other hand, it bars and denies the right of independence of the people of Gilgit Baltistan and PoK by imposing draconian acts and laws.

According to this Act of 1974, “No person or political party shall be allowed to take part in activities prejudicial or detrimental to the ideology of state’s accession to Pakistan”.

This clause is a clear violation of the freedom and fundamental rights and contrary to claims of Pakistan itself at national and international levels.

The PoK leader emphasised that India and China should resolve the issue through peaceful means and dialogues.

“A war between two nuclear powers India and China with huge armies would be one of the largest and most destructive conflicts in Asia. A war between the two powers would rock the Indo-Pacific region, causing hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides and take a significant toll on the global economy, peace and security,” he said.