Pak dismisses India's concern over Pak-China rail link in PoK

Islamabad, Jul 8 (PTI) Pakistan Thursday dismissed
India's concern over a proposed Pakistan-China rail link
through the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region in PoK, saying
New Delhi has "no locus standi" in the matter.
Abdul Basit, the Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman,
dismissed India's objections to the Pakistan-China proposed
rail link through the disputed Gilgit-Baltistan region in the
Karakoram ranges.
Amid concerns voiced by India over the rail link
through the disputed Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), he told
a weekly news briefing here that New Delhi has "no locus
standi" in the matter and that its objections are "uncalled
for and irrelevant".
The rail link is a matter of concern to India as it
passes through some of the disputed areas forming part of PoK.
According to experts, the rail link is part of plan by
China to encircle India through cooperation with its "all
weather" strategic partner.
India's External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said in
New Delhi that "we are closely watching what is happening".
Earlier, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju
said the rail link is definitely a matter of concern.
"But we are taking our counter measures and we are
doing our own preparation," Raju said.
According to earlier reports, Pakistan had awarded a
USD 1.2 million contract to an international consortium to
conduct a feasibility study for the 750-km rail line in 2007.
As per the past proposal, China would lay the track up
to Khujerab. PTI RBS
MYR


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