Kashmir was ours, is and will remain ours, this is how the Ministry of External Affairs responded to Prabhasakshi’s question regarding the joint statement of Pakistan and China.

A joint statement has come after the meeting of the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and China, in which Kashmir is mentioned. It has been told that Kashmir is an issue which has not been resolved yet. It has been said that a solution should be found under the UN Charter. On Prabhasakshi’s question, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that you are well aware of our stand on the issue of Kashmir. We have said this many times from here. I would like you to take a look at what we have said. Kashmir was, is and will always be ours.

Making an indirect reference to the abrogation of Article 370, China and Pakistan reiterated their opposition to unilateral action and called for resolution of all outstanding issues in the region. The China-Pakistan joint statement issued regarding the visit of Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Islamabad noted their stated position on the Kashmir issue and said it should be resolved in accordance with relevant international laws and bilateral agreements. Chinese Prime Minister Li was in Islamabad to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. He had reached Islamabad early to hold bilateral talks and meetings with Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership amid increasing incidents of terrorist attacks on Chinese citizens.

Both sides stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in South Asia and reiterated the need to resolve all outstanding disputes and oppose any unilateral action. While Pakistan briefed the Chinese side on the latest developments in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chinese side reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is a long-standing one, and is governed by the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. According to this, it should be resolved in a fair and peaceful manner.