Settling the Kashmir issue should not be a pre-condition for holding talks between India and Pakistan, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Tuesday as he asked the two nations not to allow non-State actors and other pressure groups to derail the peace process.
He also asked Pakistan to speed up the investigation into the January 2 Pathankot attack which India has blamed on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant group.
“Settling the Kashmir issue should not be a precondition for starting the dialogue process,” Hammond, who is here on a day-long visit, said during a joint press conference with Pakistan Premier’s advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz.
“I urge both Pakistan and India not to allow non-state actors and other pressure groups to derail the peace process,” he said.