New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif raked up the issue of Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.
Addressing the UNGA at New York, Sharif said Pakistan was ‘disappointed’ by the cancellation of secretary-level talks with India and that the Islamic country was ready to resolve the issue with negotiations. “Pakistan wants peace in the region by indulging in meaningful dialogues,” said Sharif.
“We cannot draw a veil over issue of Kashmir,” said Sharif as he called for an end to the crisis in the insurgency-torn Himalayan state of India.
“Many generations of Kashmiris have lived in violence. The core issue of Kashmir has to be resolved — and it is the resposibility of the international community,” he added.
India had last month cancelled the Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan to protest against a meeting between Kashmiri separatist leaders and Islamabad’s envoy to New Delhi.
With Sharif and Indian Narendra Modi ​likely to come to face-to-face on the sidelines of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, the issue came to light once again.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Pak had “spoiled the game†by talking to Hurriyat leaders. “New (Narendra Modi) government has given a new signal. So they (Pakistan) spoiled the talks, they spoiled the game,” Swaraj said.
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry too touched upon the issue and said if Indians were interested in a meeting, they should approach the Pakistani side.
“The onus is on India since it cancelled the foreign secretary-level talks which were scheduled to be held in Islamabad last month in a resumption of the peace dialogue,” Chaudhry said.