How Pakistan Gave Away India’s Land

Recently, India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory and that the China-Pakistan boundary agreement is illegal and invalid.

A new tension has emerged between India and China, and this time it’s about a piece of land called the Shaksgam Valley. Both countries are exchanging sharp words over this territory, and it’s important to understand what’s really happening here.

Let’s start with the basics. The Shaksgam Valley is located in the Ladakh region, just north of the famous Siachen Glacier. Imagine 5,000 square kilometers of cold, empty land—that’s more than three times the size of Delhi (or larger than the entire state of Goa). It might look like just rocks and ice, but in the world of international politics, every inch matters.

Here’s where it gets interesting. India claims this valley as its own territory. According to India, this land was always part of the old princely state of Jammu and Kashmir (a kingdom ruled by a local Maharaja before India became a republic), which joined India after independence. But right now, China controls this valley. So how did this happen?

The story goes back to 1947-48 when India and Pakistan fought their first war over Kashmir. After that war, Kashmir got divided. India controls one part, and Pakistan illegally occupies another part. The Shaksgam Valley was in this Pakistani-controlled area.

In 1963, Pakistan signed a boundary agreement with China and simply handed over the Shaksgam Valley to them. Think about this—Pakistan itself has no legal right over this land, yet they gave it away to China. It’s like someone stealing your bicycle and then gifting it to their friend.

India has never accepted this 1963 agreement. Recently, India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory and that the China-Pakistan boundary agreement is illegal and invalid.

China responded sharply, saying that the territory is part of China and that whatever projects they do there is their own business.

This brings us to an important question—why is this issue flaring up now? The timing is quite interesting. Recently, a delegation from the Chinese Communist Party visited New Delhi. They met with leaders from the BJP and even visited the RSS office. These were significant meetings because the last time such high-level party-to-party talks happened was way back in 2009.

It seemed like India and China were trying to improve their relationship after years of tension. The two countries even signed a border deal recently, and there were reports that India might allow Chinese companies to bid for government contracts again after a five-year gap. This looked like a genuine effort to reset relations.

But here’s the catch. While China is reaching out with one hand, it’s creating new problems with the other. First, there was the Arunachal Pradesh incident where an Indian citizen was detained in Shanghai because China claims that entire state as its own territory. And now we have this fresh controversy over Shaksgam Valley.

This raises an important question—is China genuinely interested in peace, or is it using these territorial disputes to keep India under pressure? The answer isn’t clear, but one thing is certain: this has always been China’s strategy. Beijing wants India to keep border issues aside and focus on improving economic and diplomatic ties. India initially resisted, saying “first normalize the border, then we’ll normalize relations.” But now, India seems willing to move forward despite the border situation remaining tense.

The Shaksgam Valley issue also matters because this area is close to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC. This is a massive project connecting Pakistan’s Gwadar Port to China. India has never accepted CPEC because it passes through occupied Kashmir.

So what happens next? India’s National Security Advisor is expected to visit Beijing soon for talks. This meeting will show whether India and China can really reset their relationship or whether we’ll see more such tensions.

The key takeaway is this—countries can shake hands with one hand while pushing back with the other. For India, the challenge is to talk peace without losing ground. China has made it clear that it won’t give up even an inch of land, neither on the ground nor at the negotiating table. This means India needs to be firm and strategic in protecting its interests.

The Shaksgam Valley dispute reminds us that in international relations, things are rarely simple. Countries can talk peace while simultaneously asserting their territorial claims. For India, the challenge is to engage with China constructively while remaining firm on matters of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As this situation develops, one thing is certain—the India-China relationship will continue to be complicated, with moments of cooperation mixed with periodic tensions over land and borders. How India navigates this complex relationship will shape not just our foreign policy, but also our security and economic future.

—- E.O.M

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany)