Islamabad, June 16: Stability in South Asia will remain a "distant dream" as long as the Kashmir issue remains unresolved and Pakistan must strive for a "just solution" of the dispute, the country's second-highest ranking military official has said.
 "I must... Point out that as long as the regional disputes, especially Kashmir, remain unresolved, stability will remain a distant dream.
 "We must therefore continue to strive for a just solution of the Kashmir dispute as it is only fair to all the people who dwell in this region," said Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
 Wynne, a four-star general, made the remarks while speaking on regional peace and stability during an address at a graduation ceremony at the National Defence University.
 The Kashmir issue is part of the dialogue process that was resumed by India and Pakistan last year after a gap of over two years in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
 The two countries have made considerable progress in normalising trade ties but have been unable to make any breakthrough in more contentious issues like the military standoff on the Siachen glacier and the dragging Kashmir issue.
 Wynne also made a tacit reference to the strained relations between Pakistan and the US, saying Islamabad would not accept any pressure while sticking to its principles.
 Since last year, the two countries have struggled to put their relationship on an even keel following a series of crisis.
 Pakistan-US ties plummeted to a new low after a CIA contractor shot dead two men in Lahore, Osama bin Laden was killed in a unilateral American raid in Abbottabad and 24 Pakistani soldiers died in a cross-border NATO air strike.
 Noting that Pakistan had "every intention of preserving its territorial integrity", Wynne said: "We seek nothing beyond secure frontiers and pose no threat to any country and will accept no pressure for standing up for our principles".

Lastupdate on : Sat, 16 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 16 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST