Not Aware of India’s Protest over China-Pakistan Bus Service: Beijing

Beijing: Beijing on Thursday said it was not aware of India’s protest to the bus services planned between China and Pakistan along the route of disputed Kashmir, maintaining the CPEC has nothing to do with the territorial dispute between New Delhi and Islamabad. According to Pakistani media reports, a private transport company would flag off the bus service between Lahore and China’s Kashgar in Xinjiang province under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on Saturday. The launch coincides with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan’s four-day China visit beginning from Friday.

India, which opposes the CPEC as its planned route cuts through Kashmir held by Pakistan, said it had lodged protests with China and Pakistan over the proposed bus service. Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar called the so-called China-Pakistan “Boundary Agreement” of 1963 “illegal and invalid”. Asked about India’s protest, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said: “As for the bus service, I have not heard of the relevant information and I have not heard of complaints. (IANS)

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