By Xinhua
Islamabad : Pakistan Monday summoned British and Indian envoys to the foreign ministry and lodged protest over their joint military exercise in Jammu and Kashmir and their plan to hold similar exercises along the India-Pakistan border.
“Pakistan feels that this is illegitimate activity because Jammu and Kashmir is internationally recognized disputed territory and more than anybody else, Britain should be aware of it,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told the weekly press briefing here.
“Pakistan made a demarche both with Britain and India last week and expressed its concern over the exercises plan,” she said.
Elite soldiers of Indian and British armed forces, who were holding joint military exercises in mountainous Ladakh in Kashmir, are to conduct joint exercises in the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen glaciers located in the eastern Karakoram range of the Himalayas along the disputed India-Pakistan border.
With regard to the issue of allowing trekking in Siachen by India, Aslam said Pakistan had already lodged protest with India. “If India allowed trekking teams in Siachen or if India is doing it now, it does not make it legitimate.”
“Indian military aggression into Siachen, its presence there and any activities that it sponsors in this area are illegal,” Aslam said.
“We have composite dialogue process with India and Siachen is one of the issues being discussed,” Aslam said, adding that Indian presence there was illegal and it was clear violation of the Shimla Agreement.