'Kashmir remains the core unresolved agenda,' army chief says during visit to LoC
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday visited Pakistani troops deployed at the Line of Control in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the military's media wing said in a statement.
The army chief appreciated the "operational readiness and high morale" of troops during his visit to the Sarpir and Pandu sectors.
He said 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 Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
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.
"We stand by the Kashmiris in their just historical stance," he was quoted as saying.
The COAS's statement comes days after violence across India-held Kashmir left at least 14 people dead.
The victims included six who were killed when an explosion occurred among a crowd protesting against Indian occupation.
'Strain in Pak-India ties will remain until Kashmir is resolved'
Also on Thursday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Pakistan wanted good neighbourly ties with India but the strain in bilateral relations would remain until the Kashmir dispute was taken to its logical end.
Read: It’s time to resolve Kashmir issue, PM tells India
Addressing a seminar on Kashmir at the National Press Club, the minister said the entire nation was united on the issue of Kashmir, which is also the cornerstone of Pakistan's foreign policy.
He said the Indian stance on Kashmir was contrary to the basic principle of the division of the subcontinent, which was based on including the Muslim-majority areas in Pakistan.
Qureshi said Kashmir was illegally annexed with India and highlighted the role of the Kashmiri Maharaja in this regard.
He said Kashmir was still on the agenda of the United Nations and the Kashmiri people had drawn the world's attention to this issue by rendering immense sacrifices. He said the Kashmir struggle was not confined to Srinagar anymore, but it was recognised across the world.
