Srinagar, November 22: The PDP and the National Panthers Party on Sunday dismissed Hurriyat Conference’s view about “China’s stake” in Kashmir and said Beijing should be rather asked to return the 42,685 sq km of occupied territory of the border state.
“China should not be introduced as another stakeholder on Kashmir rather it should be asked to return the territory of the state under its control,” senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Beigh said on Sunday.
The former deputy chief minister was commenting on chairman of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq’s statement on Friday that ‘China was not a party to the Kashmir dispute, but has a stake in peace in the region.’
“China, being an emerging power, has stakes on Kashmir as Pakistan has given some parts of the disputed territory to it,” the Mirwaiz had said.
While China has illegally occupied 37,555 sq kms in Ladakh, 5,130 sq km area was gifted by Pakistan to China.
Beigh said, “We should not over-estimate China’s role in Kashmir. It has no stake in Kashmir. Introducing China as a stakeholder will only complicate the issue”.
“In the Pakistan-China agreement signed on March 3, 1963 there is a clause, which says that China’s role will come into effect only after the settlement of the Kashmir issue. China will negotiate with the country concerned about the territory under its occupation. That means they do not have any direct role in Kashmir,” he said.
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China captured Aksi Chin in 1962 war with India and it is in possession of over 5,000 sq kms of territory that was handed over to China by Pakistan in 1963. “We should ask China to return that territory,” he said.
On China’s reported violation of India’s air space, he said the neighbouring country was playing Kashmir card to exert pressure on India over Arunachal Pradesh.
“China has no interest in Kashmir. The country only plays the Kashmir card,” the PDP leader alleged.
Meanwhile, National Panthers Party condemned proposal of US President Barrack Obama to make China a “Mediator” to monitor talks between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, saying “China has no role except to vacate our land immediately”.
–Agencies