Kashmir issue can no longer be put on back burner, says Pak army chief

Rawalpindi: Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Raheel Sharif on Sunday said Pakistan Army is fully able to respond to attacks on a small or large scale, adding that the enemy will face ‘heavy consequences’ in any case and stressed that the Kashmir issue will have to be resolved immediately.

Sharif was addressing a ceremony on Defence Day to honor the martyrs of the armed forces, at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

“I am proud to command one of the best and most battle-hardened armies of the world. This army has no parallel in the world. The armed forces of Pakistan are fully capable of dealing with all types of internal and external challenges and threats, whether it is a conventional war or a non-conventional war; whether it is a hot start or a cold start.

We are ready.” Sharif said.

Sharif asserted that Kashmir was a festering, unresolved regional issue since the partition which needed to be resolved urgently.

“Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of the partition of the subcontinent. Enduring peace in the region is totally impossible without a just resolution of Kashmir. The issue can no longer be put on the back burner. The time has come that Kashmir issue should be resolved in line with the aspirations of its people in accordance with UN resolutions,” he said.

The Defence Day ceremony was attended by the Chiefs of all three armed services, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, opposition leader in the National Assembly, several Federal Ministers, families of martyrs, diplomats and other civil and military dignitaries. (ANI)