Pakistan wants to resolve all issues with India through talks: Sartaj Aziz

Pakistan wants to hold dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, so that peace can be restored in the region, Sartaj Aziz, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s adviser on foreign affairs, has said.

Aziz’s remarks came amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Monday she was yet to hear from Aziz on a letter asking for a visa for the mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian naval officer sentenced to death by a military court in that country.

Swaraj said the visa application of Avantika Jadhav who wanted to meet her son in Pakistan was still pending.

Aziz also accused India of increasing the tension on the LoC to divert attention from the human rights violations in Kashmir, The News International newspaper reported.

He claimed that in the last one year, India had committed 450 LoC violations, killing many innocent people.

Aziz said that Pakistan wanted to hold dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir so that the peace could be restored in the region.

At the same time, Aziz said Pakistan would continue political, moral and diplomatic support of Kashmiris until and unless Kashmiris achieve freedom from India. He said India could not suppress the vigour of Kashmiris for freedom.

India being a democratic country should give chance to the people of Kashmir to decide their future course, he said.

If referendum could be held in Italy and Britain, then why not in Kashmir?, he asked.

Aziz claimed that if plebiscite was held in Kashmir no Muslim would decide to live with India.