Kashmir, water issues must be resolved to ensured S.Asia peace: Sharif

Islamabad, Feb.19 (ANI): Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that there can be no permanent peace and stability in South Asia without a negotiated resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Talking to US special envoy Richard Holbrooke he said that as an advocate of cordial and cooperative relations between Pakistan and India, he welcomed the forthcoming foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries, but felt that instead of a one-off meeting, the two countries should resume the composite dialogue process, which is the only formal, structured and mutually agreed upon format, for peaceful negotiations between the two countries.

According to the Daily News, Sharif also expressed concern about India's efforts to divert and deny Pakistan its rightful share of the waters, from rivers allocated to Pakistan under the Indus Water Basin Treaty.

"We already have enough problems between us, so India should stop creating another," he was quoted, as saying.

US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson and another official Brian Hunt accompanied Holbrooke to the meeting. (ANI)