'Pakistan ready to move forward on Kashmir if India agrees' says Qamar Javed Bajwa

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said that his country is ready to move forward on Kashmir if India agrees, Dawn reported.

"Pakistan continues to believe in using dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute and is ready to move forward on this front if India also agrees to do so," he said.

He had made similar comments at the Islamabad Security Dialogue last year when he had said it was time for both countries to "bury the past and move forward".

Gen Bajwa highlighted the importance of keeping conflict away from the region, he said Pakistan wanted the Sino-India border to be resolved soon through diplomacy and dialogue as well, Dawn reported.

"I believe it is time for the political leadership of the region to rise above their emotional and perceptional biases and break the shackles of history to bring peace and prosperity to almost three billion people of the region.

"Pakistan recognises that it is the regions and not countries that grow. This is why we believe that peace and stability in our wider region are prerequisites for achieving shared regional prosperity and development. In this regard, our doors are open for all our neighbours," the COAS said.

During his speech, Gen Bajwa termed India's accidental launching of a supersonic cruise missile into Pakistan on March 9 a matter of "serious concern", saying "we expect India to provide evidence to assure Pakistan and the world that their weapons are safe and secure".

"Unlike other incidents involving strategic weapons systems, this is the first time in history that a supersonic cruise missile from one nuclear-armed nation has landed in another," he said.

The incident had raised "serious concerns" about India's ability to manage and operate high-end weapons systems, Gen Bajwa said, adding that the neighbouring country's "indifferent attitude in not informing Pakistan immediately about the inadvertent launch" was equally concerning, Dawn reported. (IANS)

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