Pakistan, China activate boundary joint commission in Islamabad

Pakistan and China have operationalised a joint commission to manage their common border, focusing on security and trade connectivity. India rejected the mechanism, saying it has no legal basis to decide arrangements involving Indian territory under illegal occupation, including Shaksgam Valley

Islamabad: Pakistan and China have operationalised a joint mechanism for managing their common border, a move rejected by India, which said that the body has no legal basis to decide on arrangements related to Indian territory under illegal occupation.

The inaugural meeting of the Commission — based on the 2013 Agreement on the Boundary Management System — was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

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India on Wednesday rejected the “so-called” boundary joint commission set up by Pakistan and China, saying that the body has no legal basis to decide on arrangements related to Indian territory under illegal occupation.

India has been consistently maintaining that Pakistan’s handing over of certain territories such as Shaksgam Valley to China in 1963 was illegal and unacceptable.

New Delhi has also opposed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as part of it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

According to the Foreign Office, the new mechanism would enable regular coordination on the border to ensure security and facilitate the movement of goods and services, further increasing trade and connectivity under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Separately, Pakistan and China agreed to enhance cooperation in police training exchange programmes and in modern technology and equipment.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that China’s AI-based technology and modern equipment can greatly help address security challenges, adding that Pakistan wants to further expand cooperation with China in internal security.