Pakistan not to back down from 'principled stand' on Kashmir: Sartaj Aziz

 Pakistan will not back down from its "principled stand" on the Kashmir issue which would be on top of the agenda whenever the bilateral dialogue is held with India, the country's top diplomat said on Monday.  

Advisor to prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz was briefing journalists here on foreign policy and Pakistan's strategy to address emerging challenges in the region. "Pakistan wants to have peaceful relations with India but will not back down from its principled stand over Kashmir," he said. Aziz said Kashmir will be "on top of the agenda" whenever the dialogue is held with India.

He said India was trying to dictate Pakistan on Kashmir which was not acceptable but he added that Islamabad was against any tension on the Line of Control (LoC). The India-Pakistan bilateral dialogue ground to a halt after January's terror attack on the Pathankot airbase that was carried out by militants from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad.