Kashmir is unfinished agenda which hinders regional peace, says Pak Army chief (Update)

Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, said Friday that Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of the partition of the Indian subcontinent, which needs to be resolved for the sake of ensuring peace and stability in the South Asian region.

He was addressing a gathering at Royal United Services Institute in London.

According to details of the gathering, which were shared by the Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa on Twitter, General Sharif said that "Indian intransigence and the violations at Line of Control are negatively affecting the region".

He also accused India of perpetrating Line of Control (LoC) violations and strategising against Pakistan, all factors which were affecting peace in the region. He also said that Kashmir was the core issue of the dispute between Pakistan and India.

General Sharif was further quoted, as saying that Pakistan's security environment is becoming conducive for upward economic trajectory and the military will continue its efforts towards bringing total security in the country.

Talking about the ongoing peace process in Afghanistan, he was quoted, as saying that Pakistan's military and government supports enduring and permanent peace in Afghanistan.

General Raheel Sharif also urged all stakeholders to beware of detractors and spoilers who intend to sabotage the reconciliation process between the two countries.

He went on to say that Pakistan holds brotherly ties with Afghanistan. "There is a dire need of border management and international cooperation to make regional peace possible," he added.

On Thursday, General Raheel Sharif had said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project would be a game changer and usher in an era of prosperity in the region.

"We will do everything to make it a success," he said during interactions at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and House of Commons in London.