‘China occupying parts of Kashmir, Gilgit
Baltistan’
Geneva: 28 march.
A Kashmiri
leader has revealed that China
is in occupation of parts of Kashmir,
Gilgit-Baltistan and Aksai Chin, despite not being a party to any of these land
ownership disputes. In an interview, Dr Shabir Choudhry, Head of Diplomatic Committee and senior leader of
the Kashmir National Party (KNP), said: “China
also occupies part of Jammu and
Kashmir state, some part of the Aksai Chin area and
some areas of Gilgit Baltistan.” “Despite
that occupation, China
is not a party in any dispute. Pakistan
and pro-Pakistani Kashmiris are trying to make Beijing a party in these disputes. This will
be totally disastrous,” he warned. Choudhry further stated that having more or
less unrestricted access to these areas, Beijing
has undertaken a major exploration drive to unearth precious minerals and
stones, which it hopes to use for developing its missile technology. “Various
areas in Gilgit Baltistan have been given to China for exploration. All minerals,
precious stones and (other) material that can be used for missile technology, China is taking
all those away. Pakistan has
given these areas to China
very generously. They (Pakistanis) have received an amount for that. For each
area that they have given to China,
they have received money for that,” Choudhry claimed.
Claiming
that China and Pakistan’s elite class were the only ones benefitting from this
exercise, the Kashmiri leader said: “Local people are protesting that these
resources belong to us, we should benefit only, our generations should
benefit.”“I visited Gilgit Baltistan. I saw that area and I was surprised to
see Chinese signboards over there. What does that imply? People there don’t
know Chinese. I don’t know Chinese. It means that Chinese presence is there.
Signboards are for them, not for me or not for Pakistanis. So there is a large
presence of Chinese in Gilgit Baltistan,” he said. “The road construction and
dam construction which is going on over there, there is a large presence of the
Chinese Army,” he added.
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