Pak rejects India\'s protests over CPEC bus service

Pak rejects India's protests over CPEC bus service

Press Trust of India  |  Islamabad 

on Thursday rejected protests by against a bus service between and passing though PoK under the ambitious CPEC project.

"We reject the Indian Ministry of External Affairs' (MEA) purported protest and statement regarding bus service through China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)," (FO) said.

on Wednesday said it had lodged strong protests with and Pakistan over a proposed bus service between the two countries through Pakistan-occupied (PoK).

MEA had said the bus service will be a violation of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Kumar said it has been India's consistent and well-known position that the "so-called China-Pakistan 'Boundary Agreement' of 1963 is illegal and invalid, and has never been recognised by the "

"Therefore, any such bus service through Pakistan-occupied & will be a violation of India's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.

The USD 50-billion CPEC, launched in 2015, is a planned network of roads, railways and linking China's resource-rich Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with Pakistan's strategic on the

The FO said India's repeated regurgitation of claims over and Kashmir can neither change the facts of history nor the legality of the Kashmir dispute.

It said as per the (UNSC) resolution, the entire state of and Kashmir is disputed, the final status of which is to be determined through a democratic and impartial plebiscite to be held under the auspices of the UN.

The FO said Indian Kashmir was the most militarised zone in the world.

Pakistan also asked India to allow the (COI) recommended by the for Human Rights (OHCHR) to investigate human rights violations.

It also called on India to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Thu, November 01 2018. 19:40 IST