Kashmir continues to be 'core unresolved agenda', says Pak Army chief

Islamabad, Oct 25: Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said the Kashmir issue continues to be a "core unresolved agenda" and warned against "misadventure" against his country.

Gen Bajwa made the remarks during a visit to Sarpir and Pandu Sectors at the Line of Control where he interacted with the Pakistani troops, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the army - said in a statement. He appreciated the "operational readiness and high morale" of troops and said the Pakistan Army is "fully invested in peace and stability of the region". "However, we are ready and resolute in defending the motherland against any misadventure," Gen Bajwa was quoted as saying by the statement.

The army chief said the Kashmir issue continues to be a "core unresolved agenda" and reiterated his support for the right to self-determination of Kashmiris. The ties between India and Pakistan remains strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016 and India's surgical strikes inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

After assuming power in August, Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting a meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September. India accepted the proposal but, within hours of its acceptance, terrorists killed three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting New Delhi to cancel the foreign ministers' meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA.

PTI