Peace will return only after resolution of Kashmir issue: Raheel Sharif

Davos, Jan 19 (IANS) Describing Kashmir as the unfinished agenda of Partition, Pakistan's ex-army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday said normalcy will return to the region only after the long-standing dispute is resolved.

The former army chief made these remarks while addressing the "Pakistan Breakfast" event on the sidelines of the 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in this Swiss mountaintop city.

The session was arranged by the Pathfinder Group of Pakistan in its efforts to promote the country at the forum which is attended by the world's leading political and business personalities.

Raheel Sharif stressed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to the aspirations of the people and resolutions of the United Nations to achieve durable peace in South Asia. "Pakistan needs peace but the core issue is Kashmir, which has to be resolved first," he said.

The restive Himalayan region suffered a rise in violence last year after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8. Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in full.

In reply to a question whether peace and economic prosperity could be achieved in South Asia without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, the former chief of the Pakistan Army said: "There are three words to explain how to move forward and these are Kashmir, Kashmir and Kashmir."