Updated: Sunday February 23, 2014/AlAhad
Rabi' Thani 23, 1435/Ravivara
Phalguna 04, 1935, at 06:25:03 PM
2nd March,
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 1
In 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 2
In 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
1 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).
2 After passing through
the Khunjerab (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 (Oprang 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 Kelechin river. According to the map of the
3 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).
4 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).
5 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 Teram
Kangri 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 3
The 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 that
ii) Wherever the
boundary passes through a deban (pass) the water-parting line thereof shall be
the boundary line.
Article 4
One 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 5
The 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 6
The 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 7
The present agreement
shall come into force on the date 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.
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| LL. B. – I | LL. B. – II
| LL. B. – III | LL. B.
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