ISLAMABAD – The Foreign Office of Pakistan rejected on Thursday Indian protest over the launch of a luxury bus service between Pakistan and China, saying the international community could not be misled.
“We reject the Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) purported protest and statement regarding bus service through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). India’s repeated regurgitation of claims over India-held Kashmir can neither change the facts of history nor the legality of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” an FO statement said.
The first China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Passenger Bus Service will start operations from November 3 between the two South Asian neighbours.
The bus service will run four days a week from Lahore to Tashkurgan with passengers enjoying the view of beautiful sights of northern Pakistan.
India’s external affairs ministry in a statement said: “We have lodged strong protests with China and Pakistan on the proposed bus service that will operate through … Jammu and Kashmir under … ‘China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’.”
The EAM spokesperson contended that the bus service operating through Kashmir would be “a violation of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/pakistan-china-launch-first-cpec-passenger-bus-service/
Rejecting the Indian position, the FO of Pakistan said: “As per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, the entire state of Jammu 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 United Nations.”
In complete violation of the UNSC resolutions, and against the wishes of the Kashmiri people, India continues to maintain its illegal hold over Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir through brutal use of force.
It may be recalled that Indian leaders had committed to hold the plebiscite. The Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir remains the most militarized zone in the world, where the occupation forces are killing and maiming people on a daily basis. The gross and systematic violations of human rights of the people of Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir at the hands of occupation forces have been extensively documented in the report issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in June 2018.
By raising frivolous issues, India cannot mislead the international community or hide its state-terrorism against a people engaged in a legitimate struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination.
We call upon India to vacate its illegal occupation. We also call upon India to allow the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommended by the OHCHR to investigate human rights violations and resolve the Jammu &Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people.
