Pakistan parrots China's claim on Arunachal Pradesh again, challenges India’s sovereignty stance

This picture taken on April 3, 2023 shows an Indian army soldier carrying a rocket launcher at a camp near Pankang Teng Tso Lake in the Tawang district of India's Arunachal Pradesh state. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)

Pakistan has once again sided with China on Arunachal Pradesh, choosing to echo Beijing’s narrative rather than acknowledge India’s sovereignty. In a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, Islamabad said it “reiterates its consistent support for China on matters concerning its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The comment came in response to queries about China’s recent remarks on Zangnan, Beijing’s term for Arunachal Pradesh.

The statement, attributed to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, signals yet another attempt by Pakistan to insert itself into India’s internal matters by aligning with China’s expansionist claims. New Delhi has repeatedly clarified that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, most recently after China detained an Arunachal woman at Shanghai airport, prompting a strong diplomatic protest. In that case, the Indian government stressed that no foreign entity has any authority over its citizens from the state.

Pakistan’s latest endorsement of China reflects a longstanding political strategy built on opportunistic alignment rather than legality. In May 2025, Pakistan had already issued a similar statement backing China’s territorial assertions on Arunachal Pradesh, a move widely criticized by analysts for undermining regional stability. Pakistani media then attempted to frame it as “regional support,” even as the country faces its own territorial disputes, internal instability and international criticism over separatist crackdowns.

China regularly attempts to portray Arunachal Pradesh as Zangnan in its official communication, publishing maps and renaming Indian villages in an effort to justify its claims. India has firmly rejected these actions as politically motivated. Foreign Ministry officials in New Delhi have stated that China’s claims “do not change reality on the ground,” and have called China’s actions an effort to distort geography.

Pakistan’s habit of endorsing China’s geopolitical provocations raises questions about its diplomatic credibility. Islamabad continues to rely on Beijing for economic rescue packages, infrastructure loans and military supplies, even as Pakistan plunges deeper into debt under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Critics argue that this economic dependency has reduced Pakistan’s foreign policy to an extension of Beijing’s interests.

For India, Pakistan’s comment is seen as another futile attempt to irritate New Delhi while seeking leverage through China. Given that Pakistan has no geographical or legal relevance to the issue, its intervention is symbolic at best. What it truly reflects is a deepening dependency on China that continues to weaken Islamabad’s own strategic autonomy.

India has maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is fully part of its sovereign territory and remains governed democratically as any other Indian state. With Beijing selectively pushing manufactured claims and Islamabad blindly backing them, regional observers warn that such messaging only adds to friction in South Asia without altering any border fact.