MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the ongoing Kashmir territorial dispute, a consistent "bone of contention" between India and Pakistan, must first be resolved to ensure stability and peace in the region, addressing his nation in Washington during a four-day US official tour, according to the Pakistani Geo TV channel.
On Monday, Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said Sharif would raise Kashmir issue during a meeting with US President Barack Obama on Thursday.
In September, Sharif said Pakistan had proposed to India a demilitarization of the Jammu and Kashmir region.
The Jammu and Kashmir region has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Following several armed conflicts, the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in 2003. Since then, both sides have repeatedly blamed each other for violating the truce.
At the moment, no border between India and Pakistan has been agreed upon, and the two countries are separated by a demarcation line.
