Chinese claim on Shaksgam valley unacceptable, says Ladakh L-G

Rejecting China’s claims over the Shaksgam Valley, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta on Tuesday asserted that the entire territory of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India and said expansionist attempts by any country would not be tolerated.

Speaking to reporters in Jammu, the L-G said India would firmly counter any such moves. “The whole of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ours. We do not know what Pakistan has traded with China. China should understand that nothing will be achieved through its expansionist policy. India is capable. This is not the India of 1962; it is the India of 2026. Any such attempts will be foiled,” Gupta said, adding that the Ministry of External Affairs was taking cognisance of the issue.

His remarks came a day after China reaffirmed its territorial claims over the Shaksgam Valley despite India’s objections, maintaining that its infrastructure projects in the area were “beyond reproach.”

Gupta said China must realise that India today is far stronger than it was in the past, noting that Beijing has also laid claims on parts of Arunachal Pradesh earlier.

Warning Pakistan, the Ladakh L-G said the country should introspect as its internal problems could lead to its disintegration. “The day is not far when the areas of Jammu and Kashmir illegally occupied by Pakistan will be taken back,” he said.

Describing Pakistan as a country that has failed its people, Gupta alleged that it had little regard for its sovereignty or citizens. “Voices are being raised in Balochistan, Sindh and Karachi, and atrocities are being committed there by the Pakistan Army,” he claimed.

Gupta also cautioned against making provocative statements on sensitive issues, pointing out that there is a clear parliamentary position on PoK. “There is a Parliament resolution of 1994 which clearly states that the entire PoK belongs to India. Statements of a provocative nature should be avoided,” he said.

Reacting to a recent statement by the Army Chief that ‘Operation Sindoor’ is ongoing, Gupta said the armed forces enjoy complete national support. “The entire country stands with the Army. The Army Chief has made a responsible statement, and I welcome it,” he said.

India last Friday criticised China’s infrastructure development projects in the Shaksgam Valley, reiterating that the area is Indian territory and that it reserves the right to take necessary measures to safeguard its interests.

Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 square kilometres of Indian territory in the Shaksgam Valley to China in 1963 from areas under its illegal occupation.