The
Trans-Karakoram Tract is an area of nearly
5,800 km² that was transferred by a border agreement from the
Pakistani
-administered Northern Areas
to China
in 1963 with
the proviso that the settlement was subject to the final solution
of the Kashmir dispute. Pakistan says that it was a no-man's
undemarcated border land, hence no question arises of its being
transferred.
The transfer is disputed by India
which claims
the Tract as part of Indian Jammu and Kashmir
state.
The tract, called
Shaksgam, is technically
part of
Shigar, a valley of Baltistan
region of
Ladakh Province. The
Raja of Shigar controlled this land
until 1971, when Pakistan abolished the Raja government system. A
polo ground in Shaksgam was built by the Amacha Royal family of
Shigar, and the Rajas of Shigar used to invite the Amirs of Yarkand
to play polo there. All the names of the mountains, lakes, rivers
and passes are in Balti/Ladakhi, suggesting that this land has been
part of Baltistan/Ladakh province for a long time.
The Tract
is one of the most inhospitable areas of the world, with some of
the highest mountains including Broad Peak
, Gasherbrum
and Masherbrum
, and is adjacent to the highest battlefield in the
world at Siachen
Glacier
.
Shaksgam Valley
The
Shaksgam Valley is an area of Baltistan, ceded by Pakistan to the
People's
Republic of China
on March 3 in 1963 pending the settlement of the dispute over
Kashmir
.
It is a
part of the Trans-Karakoram
Tract and is also claimed by India.
History
Before 1947 the Shaksgam Valley was nominally controlled by the
Maharaja of Kashmir. In 1887 the first expedition to the valley by
a Westerner was undertaken by
Francis Younghusband. In 1926
Kenneth Mason explored and surveyed the
valley
Sino-Pakistan Frontier Agreement
March 3,
1963: Below is the text of the Sino-Pak Border agreement
1963 .
The
Government of the People’s Republic of China
and the Government of
Pakistan;HAVING agreed, with a view to ensuring the
prevailing peace and tranquility on their respective border, to
formally delimit and demarcate the boundary between China’s Sinkiang and the contiguous areas the defence of
which is under the actual control of Pakistan, in a spirit
of fairness, reasonableness, mutual understanding and mutual
accommodation, and on the basis of the ten principles as enunciated
in the Bandung conference.Being convinced that this would not only
give full expression to the desire of the people of China and Pakistan for the
development of good neighbourly and friendly relations, but also
help safeguard Asian and world peace.Have resolved for this
purpose to conclude the present agreement and have appointed as
their respective plenipotentiaries the following.For the
Government of the
People's Republic of China;
Chen Yi,
Minister of Foreign
Affairs.For the
Government of
Pakistan Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto,
Minister of
External Affairs.
Who, having mutually examined their full powers and found them to
be in good and due form have agreed upon following:
Article 1In view of the fact that the boundary
between China’s Sinkiang and the contiguous areas the defence of
which is under the actual control of Pakistan has never been formally delimited, two parties
agree to delimit it on the basis of the traditional customary
boundary line including features and in a spirit of equality,
mutual benefit and friendly cooperation.
Article 2In accordance with the principle
expounded in Article 1 of the present agreement, the two parties
have fixed as follows the alignment of the entire boundary line
between China’s Sinkiang and the contiguous areas the defence of
which is under the actual control of Pakistan.
- Commencing from its north western extremity
at height 5,630 metres (a peak the reference coordinates of which
are approximately longitude 74 degrees 34 minutes east and latitude
37 degrees 3 minutes north), the boundary line runs generally
eastward and then South-eastward strictly along the main watershed
between the tributaries of the Tashkurgan River of the Tarim river system
on the one hand on the tributes of the Hunza
river of the Indus
river
system on the other hand, passing through the
Kilik Daban (Dawan), the Mintake Daban (pass), the Kharchanai Daban
(named on the Chinese map only), the Mutsgila Daban (named on the
Chinese map only) and the Parpik Pass (named on the Pakistan map
only) and reaches the Khunjerab (Yutr
Daban (Pass).
- After passing through the Kunjerab (Yutr) Daban (pass) the
boundary line runs generally southward along the above-mentioned
main watershed up to a mountain-top south of the Daban (pass),
where it leaves the main watershed to follow the crest of a spur
lying generally in a south-easterly direction, which is the
watershed between the Akjilga river ( a nameless corresponding
river on the Pakistan map) on the one hand, and the Taghumbash
(Oprang) river and the Koliman Su (Orang Jilga) on the other hand.
According to the map of the Chinese side, the boundary line, after
leaving the south-eastern extremity of the spur, runs along a small
section of the middle line of the bed of the Koliman Su to reach
its confluence with the Elechin river. According to the map of the
Pakistan side, the boundary line, after leaving the south-eastern
extremity of this spur, reaches the sharp bend of the Shaksgam of
Muztagh river.
Political division of Kashmir
- From the aforesaid point, the boundary lines runs up the
Kelechin river (Shaksgam or Muztagh river) along the middle line of
its bed its confluence (reference coordinates approximately
longitude 76 degrees 2 minutes east and latitude 36 degrees 26
minutes north) with the Shorbulak Daria (Shimshal river or Braldu
river).
- From
the confluence of the aforesaid two rivers, the boundary line,
according to the map of the Chinese side, ascends the crest of a
spur and runs along it to join the Karakoram
range main watershed at a mountain-top (reference
coordinates approximately longitude 75 degrees 54 minutes east and
latitude 36 degrees 15 minutes north) which on this map is shown as
belonging to the Shorgulak mountain. According to the map of
the Pakistan side, the boundary line from the confluence of the
above mentioned two river ascends the crest of a corresponding spur
and runs along it, passing through height 6.520 meters (21,390
feet) until it joins the Karakoram range main watershed at a peak
(reference coordinates approximately longitude 75 degrees 57
minutes east and latitude 36 degrees 3 minutes north).
- Thence, the boundary line, running generally south-ward and
then eastward strictly follows the Karakoram range main watershed
which separates the Tarim river
drainage
system from the Indus river drainage system, passing through the
east Mustagh Pass (Muztagh pass), the
top of the Chogri peak (K2
) the top of
the broad peak, the top of the Gasherbrum mountain (8,068), the
Indirakoli pass (names of the Chinese maps only) and the top of the
Teramn Kankri peak, and reaches its south-eastern extremity at the
Karakoram
Pass
. Then alignment of the entire boundary line
as described in section one of this article, has been drawn on the
one million scale map of the Pakistan side in English which are
signed and attached to the present agreement. In view of the fact
that the maps of the two sides are not fully identical in their
representation of topographical features the two parties have
agreed that the actual features on the ground shall prevail, so far
as the location and alignment of the boundary described in section
one is concerned, and that they will be determined as far as
possible by bgint survey on the ground.
Article 3The two parties have agreed that:i)
Wherever the boundary follows a river, the middle line of the river
bed shall be the boundary line; and thatii) Wherever the boundary
passes through a deban (pass) the water-parting line thereof shall
be the boundary line.
Article 4One the two parties have agreed to set
up, as soon as possible, a joint boundary demarcation commission.
Each side will appoint a
chairman(
Chaudry Mohammad Aslam for the
Pakistani side), one or more members and a certain number of
advisers and technical staff. The joint boundary demarcation
commission is charged with the responsibility in accordance with
the provisions of the present agreement, to hold concrete
discussions on and carry out the following tasks jointly.
1) To conduct necessary surveys of the boundary area on the ground,
as stated in Article 2 of the present agreement so as to set up
boundary markers at places considered to be appropriate by the two
parties and to delineate the boundary line of the jointly prepared
accurate maps.To draft a protocol setting forth in detail the
alignment of the entire boundary line and the location of all the
boundary markers and prepare and get printed detailed maps, to be
attached to the protocol, with the boundary line and the location
of the boundary markers shown on them.
2) The aforesaid protocol, upon being signed by representatives of
the governments of the two countries, shall become an annex to the
present agreement, and the detailed maps shall replace the maps
attached to the present agreement.
3) Upon the conclusion of the above-mentioned protocol, the tasks
of the joint boundary demarcation commission shall be
terminated.
Article 5The two parties have agreed that any
dispute concerning the boundary which may arise after the
delimitation of boundary line actually
existing between the two countries shall be settled peacefully by
the two parties through friendly consultations.
Article 6The two parties have agreed that after the
settlement of the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India, the
sovereign authority concerned will reopen negotiations with the
Government
of the People's Republic of China on the boundary as described
in Article. Two of the present agreement, so as to sign
a formal boundary treaty to replace the present agreement, provided
that in the event of the sovereign authority being Pakistan, the
provisions of the present agreement and of the aforesaid protocol
shall be maintained in the formal boundary treaty to be signed
between the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan.
Article 7The present agreement shall come into
force on the data of its signature.Done in duplicate in
Peking on the second day of March 1963, in the
Chinese and English languages, both side being equally authentic.
map of the disputed kashmir
region
See also
References
External links
Kashmir
Wikis
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