FACTS that led to the Creation of PAKISTAN OCCUPIED KASHMIR (West of LOC) & CHINA OCCUPIED KASHMIR (East of LAC)

The original State of J&K which acceded to India in october 1947 comprised 2,22,236 sq km. But today India is in physical occupation of only 1,06,566 sq km of the original state of J&K. Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) is 72,935 sq km less 5,180 sq km of Shaksgam Valley leased to China in 1963. China occupied Kashmir (CoK) consists of 37,555 sq km of Aksai Chin plus Shaksgam and territory nibbled over the years, all totaling up to 42,735 sq km.

- LT GENERAL P. C. KATOCH (RETD)

Background

Post Partition of undivided India in 1947, the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was acceded to India by the then ruler of J&K, Maharaja Hari Singh through an Instrument of Accession signed on October 26, 1947 post massive Pakistan infiltration. For the Partition, British barrister Cyril Radcliffe arrived in British India for the first time on July 8, 1947. He was given exactly five weeks to draw the borders between an independent India and the newly created Pakistan. Radcliffe had never visited India earlier and probably had never seen a map in his life. He chaired two boundary commissions, one for Punjab and one for Bengal, consisting of two Muslims and two nonMuslims – none from military or with a military background. Over a Century of British rule in India and five weeks to Partition the Country by a novice - Radcliffe! Mountbatten declared Independence only on August 15 through the resulting boundary award was announced on August 17. Radcliffe sailed back for England on August 18, Partition along the Radcliffe Line ended in violence that killed one million people and displaced 12 million.