Indian experts lash out at Pak army chief's Kashmir comment

Indian experts have lashed out at Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif for raking up the Kashmir issue, and saying that the resolution was imperative for establishment of sustainable peace in the region.

Addressing a passing-out parade at Military Academy in Kakul, General Sharif said the people of Kashmir should be allowed to decide their fate in the light of UN resolutions.

He also said Pakistan and its people desire regional stability and relationship based on equality and mutual respect.

Foreign policy expert Qamar Agha said if Pakistan,wants peace, it should encourage the government to start dialogue process.

He added that India has to be strong and give a befitting reply to the incursion and ceasefire violations, which took place recently.

"See this statement is important coming at a time immediately after the firing around the borders that continued for quite a few days and this coming of. I think it an important in the sense, you know, they have realised one thing that through military they cannot resolve this problem. And India has been telling for a very long time that peace is the only option. India is willing to solve all its outstanding disputer under the Shimla agreement," Agha said.

Retired Lieutenant General and defence expert Vinod Bhatia said, "The only way they can divert the attention of the Pakistani people, the Pakistani public and get them together to raise Kashmir issue. The issue is not Kashmir, the issue is terrorism. They have to resolve the terrorism issue, they wouldn't talk about the terrorism issue; they can't say they are non-state actor because they are not non-state actor. They are supporter morally, financially, weapon-wise, training-wise and they are infiltrated into our country, which is not acceptable to us. First they should resolve the issue of terrorism. They can't hold a gun to our head and say now you talk. We are not going to talk, they should understand they are a talking to India, India is a very big nation."

Bhatia added that former Pakistani President Pervez Mussharaf had also raised the issue, while the internal turmoil of Pakistan is also one of the causes to rake up the Kashmir issue time and again.

Condemning the attacks on border villagers, Lieutenant General Raj Kadyan said of General Sharif, "I think he is forgetting what United Nations resolution had said in April 1949 that to hold a plebiscite, all Pakistani army personnel, they are irregular and the Pakistani population must leave azaad (independent) Kashmir. They never met that requirement. So there was no question of the plebiscite. The UN resolution allowed India to keep the minimum required force for the security of the state while plebiscite was being carried out. But if it was not carried out, I think the onus was on Pakistan, they did not meet the pre-condition that was laid in the resolution.