ISLAMABAD (Pakistan) – In one of his strongest remarks on Kashmir, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan and Kashmir are inseparable, and that Kashmir is “an unfinished agenda of partition”.
The statement was tweeted by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Asim Bajwa.
Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition,Pak &Kashmir are inseparable.While we wish peace, stability in region,we want Kashmir’s…5/6
— AsimBajwaISPR (@AsimBajwaISPR) June 3, 2015
Addressing a conference at the National Defense University, the army chief said, “While we wish for peace and stability in region, we want Kashmir’s just resolution in the light of United Nations resolutions and as per aspirations of the Kashmiri people to bring lasting peace in region.”
He also linked peace with India to resolving the Kashmir issue according to the UN resolutions.
“While we wish peace, stability in the region, we want Kashmir’s just resolution in the light of UN resolutions and as per aspirations of Kashmiris to bring lasting peace in the region,” he said.
Parts of Raheel’s speech were tweeted by army spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa.
“While our enemies (are) supporting terrorism to stoke sub conventional conflicts and destabilise our country…(we are) fully determined and capable of defeating nefarious designs,” he said.
‘Won’t allow any country to use proxies’
General Raheel Sharif further said that the “contours of future wars are fast changing” but Pakistan was capable to defend it.
He said, “While our enemies supporting terrorism to stoke sub-conventional conflicts and destabilise our country, we are fully determined, capable of defeating nefarious designs.”
“Pakistan (is) opposed to the use proxies versus other countries and would not allow any country to use proxies versus Pakistan,” he said.
COAS also stressed the need for enhanced civil-military coordination.
The army chief’s statement follows a flurry of similar assertions that India is involved in stoking terrorism in Pakistan. In recent weeks, the military and civilian leadership have expressed serious concerns of India’s “nefarious designs”, with top government officials saying India is attempting to sabotage Pakistan’s historic $46 billion agreement with China.
The Pakistan Army last month asserted that Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is involved in terrorism in Pakistan.
Earlier on Tuesday, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had also referred to Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement that terrorists had to be neutralised only through terrorists and termed it an open admission that the neighbour was pursuing the policy of state-sponsored terrorism.
“Coupled with the recent statement of the defence minister of India which blatantly and unashamedly accepted responsibility for terrorism in Pakistan, this recent statement of intent by the Indian prime minister clearly shows India’s intentions not only to destabilise and hegemonise Pakistan but also to use any means at its disposal to keep Pakistan backward and underdeveloped,” he said.
The interior minister said the statement should serve as an eye-opener for all those world powers which never tired praising India for its democratic credentials. “Let the Indian leadership hear loud and clear that Pakistan’s quest for peace must not be misconstrued for weakness,” he added.
