India has expressed concern over China's construction activities in the Shaksgam Valley and said these actions are aimed at unilaterally changing the status of the region.

About the Shaksgam Valley:

1. Location and Sovereignty Dispute:
   1. The Shaksgam Valley, also known as the Trans Karakoram Tract, is part of the Hunza-Gilgit region of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).
   2. It is a disputed territory claimed by India but controlled by Pakistan.
2. Geographic Borders:
   1. The valley borders Xinjiang Province of China to the north, the Northern Areas of POK to the south and west, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east.
3. Cession to China:
   1. In 1963, Pakistan and China signed a boundary agreement, under which Pakistan ceded the Shaksgam Valley to China.
4. Article 6 of the Agreement:
   1. Article 6 of the boundary agreement states that once the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India is resolved, the parties will resume negotiations with China to sign a formal boundary treaty to replace the existing agreement.
5. Construction of Karakoram Highway:
   1. The boundary agreement laid the foundation for the Karakoram Highway, built jointly by Chinese and Pakistani engineers in the 1970s.

Q. Strategic Importance of Siachen Glacier:

1. Located at an altitude of around 20,000 feet in the Karakoram Mountain range, the Siachen Glacier is the world's highest militarized zone.
2. It holds strategic importance as it dominates the Shaksgam Valley to the north, controls routes from Gilgit Baltistan to Leh in the west, and overlooks the ancient Karakoram Pass in the east.
3. It also observes a significant portion of Gilgit Baltistan, which India considers to be illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1948.

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