Nawaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir issue at the UN

UNITED NATIONS: Raking up the Kashmir issue, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday made a strong pitch for UN intervention to resolve "festering disputes".

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Sharif said the UN must remain "attentive" to the protracted issue as also the "full realisation" of the right to self determination of the Kashmiri people.

Sharif, who meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Sunday, said the UN "must continue to remain attentive to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and the full realisation of the right to self-determination of its people. The suffering of the people cannot be brushed under the carpet, because of power politics."

The UN has to "a critical role" to play in resolving "festering disputes", he said.

"As in the past, Pakistan calls upon the international community to give an opportunity to the Kashmiris to decide their future peacefully, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. The issue of Jammu and Kashmir was presented to the Security Council in January 1948; and yet the issue remains unresolved after nearly seven decades."

Sharif said Pakistan and India have a solid basis to re-engage and prosper together.

"We can build on the Lahore Accord signed in 1999, which contained a road map for the resolution of our differences through peaceful negotiations," he said, adding he personally has an aspiration for "regional peace and stability."

Sharif said he looked forward to meeting Singh to make a "new beginning" and re-engage with India in a "substantive and purposeful dialogue."

"Shortly after assuming office, I received a message of goodwill from the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh. I extended an invitation to him to engage with us to address all outstanding issues between our two countries. Prime Minister Singh's response was positive," he said.