ISLAMABAD
\nIslamabad on Thursday rejected what India has described as \u2018concerns\u2019 about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through disputed territory, saying Islamabad had \u2018irrefutable evidence\u2019 of New Delhi\u2019s campaign to sabotage the scheme.
\nOn February 9, India responded to a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan during a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to Beijing last week. The joint statement had made a reference to the part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir that is administered by India.
\nArab News reported that both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part. They have fought two of their three wars over the disputed region. India and China also share a 3,500-km-long border that remains un-demarcated.
\nThe nuclear-armed neighbours have overlapping claims to large areas of territory along the frontier. The two countries fought a border war in 1962. On the other hand, China and Pakistan consider each other \u201call-weather friends\u201d and have close diplomatic, economic and security ties.
\nThe joint statement issued by China and Pakistan last week made several references to CPEC, a flagship project of Beijing\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that, according to India, passes through disputed territories. \u201cWe also strongly reject India\u2019s persistent propaganda against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,\u201d the Pakistani foreign office said in response to remarks by India\u2019s ministry of external affairs. \u201cPakistan has shared irrefutable evidence of India\u2019s sinister campaign to sabotage CPEC.\u201d
\nThe statement added that Pakistan would continue to extend all possible support to the Kashmiris in their struggle against \u201cIndia\u2019s illegal occupation.\u201d During PM Khan\u2019s visit to Beijing, the two nations expressed determination to safeguard CPEC from all threats and negative propaganda:
\n\u201cPakistan reaffirmed its commitment to making all-out efforts for the security of all Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan and the Chinese side expressed its appreciation for the measures taken by Pakistan in this regard.\u201d China\u2019s projects have repeatedly come under attack by militants, particularly in Balochistan province. Pakistan frequently blames the attacks on militants sponsored by India. New Delhi denies this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Islamabad on Thursday rejected what India has described as \u2018concerns\u2019 about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through disputed territory, saying Islamabad had \u2018irrefutable evidence\u2019 of New Delhi\u2019s campaign to sabotage the scheme. On February 9, India responded to a joint statement issued by China and Pakistan during a visit by Pakistani Prime Minister […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-243826","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n