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Pak wishes to have 3rd party mediation on Kashmir: Aziz

Kashmir Times. Dated: 10/25/2015 11:49:47 AM

ISLAMABAD, Oct 24 (Agencies): While reiterating Pakistan Prime Minister’s stand on Kashmir that international community should note that bilateral talks on Kashmir have failed, Pakistan’s outgoing National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan wish to have third party mediation on Kashmir, but we have not demanded it from the United States.
Aziz while speaking during a press briefing in Pakistan was responding to questions on the statement made by the US in which it ruled out any meditation effort unless both India and Pakistan ask for it.
“Under Shimla Accord it was decided that India and Pakistan would resolve their disputes bilaterally,” Aziz said. “Such bilateral talks have not yielded any results for the last 40 years. So then what is the solution?” he asked.
Earlier Sharif in his address to the United Nations General Assembly said that since the bilateral process is not working, the international community should take note of the increasing tension between the two countries and increased firing on the Line of Control.
“It is not only an issue of Kashmir,” he said. “It is also a threat to regional security.”
Aziz claimed that Sharif never asked for an American meditation and that a third party meditation on Kashmir is unlikely, “unless there an international pressure.”
“But our concerns have been addressed by the US in the joint statement that Kashmir dispute needs to be addressed,” he claimed. “The joint statement describes Kashmir as a dispute, not an issue. This is significant because US in this statement has agreed that Kashmir is a dispute, previously it was an issue. This is an important signal to India.”