'PoJK Slipped Away Temporarily Due To Someone's Weakness Or Mistake': EAM Jaishankar Takes Subtle Dig At Nehru Administration

In a subtle critique of the country's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Congress, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar remarked that India lost its control over Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) due to "someone's weakness or mistake."

Jaishankar made these comments during an event titled 'Vishwabandhu Bharat' on Thursday (16 May) as per a report by The Economic Times.

When asked how China might respond if India integrated PoJK into its territory, given that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan, Jaishankar stated, "I don't believe there's any such thing as a 'Lakshman Rekha'."

He added, "I think PoJK is a part of India, and due to someone's weakness or mistake, it's temporarily slipped away from us."

Reaffirming the parliamentary resolution to reclaim PoJK, the seasoned diplomat and former ambassador to Beijing emphasised the historical context of China's involvement in the region.

He stressed that neither Pakistan nor its neighbor can assert sovereignty over PoJK, as India has a 'legitimate claim' over the territory.

"I was China's ambassador, and we all know China's past actions and its collaboration with Pakistan," Jaishankar said. "We have repeatedly told them that neither Pakistan nor China can claim this land as theirs. If there's any legitimate claimant, it's India. You are occupying and building there, but the legal title belongs to us."

Referring to the 1963 agreement between Pakistan and China, Jaishankar noted that while Islamabad transferred a significant portion of the Pakistan-occupied territory to China as a gesture of friendship, the agreement stipulates that China will ultimately respect the territorial claims of either Pakistan or India.

Discussing the changing dynamics in the region, Jaishankar emphasised the need for India to assertively maintain its stance on PoJK.

"We need to keep our position very strong and have confidence in ourselves. Ten years ago, none of you would talk like this; it's a change... even the Indian public has gained confidence in this matter," he said.