British foreign secretary Philip Hammond on Tuesday said that Kashmir should not be a precondition to Pakistan-India dialogue.
British foreign secretary Philip Hammond on Tuesday said that Kashmir should not be a precondition to Pakistan-India dialogue.
Addressing a press conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Sartaj Aziz, he said dialogue was the key to resolving the issues between the two countries.
“Settling the Kashmir issue should not be a precondition for starting the dialogue process. I urge both Pakistan and India not to allow non-state actors and other pressure groups to derail the peace process,” Mr Hammond said.
The British foreign secretary advised Pakistan to speed up the investigation into the January 2 terror assault on India’s Pathankot air base in northern Punjab.
“I welcome Pakistan’s commitment to vigorously pursue the Phatankot attack investigations, and we hope that the country will make progress in the investigation,” he said.
Mr Hammond also appreciated Islamabad’s role in the fight against terrorism and said Britain will continue its support to Pakistan in the war on terror.
“I salute Pakistan’s efforts in the fight against terrorism. Pakistan is the victim of terrorism and we want to work with Pakistan to take on the threats it faces.”
“Britain and Pakistan will remain partners against terrorism,” the foreign secretary added.
