UK says it is for India, Pak to resolve Kashmir issue

London, Jan 23 (PTI) Against the backdrop of a diplomatic
storm sparked by Foreign Secretary David Miliband's attempt to
link the Kashmir problem to terrorism, Britain Friday said it
was for India and Pakistan to resolve the issue through
dialogue and "not for UK to prescribe a solution."

"It is not for UK to prescribe a solution and it is for
the parties directly involved to determine through dialogue,"
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.

"Normalisation of India-Pakistan relations is vital to
regional security. We continue to urge both India and Pakistan
to seek a lasting resolution of the issue of Kashmir which
takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people," an FCO
spokeswoman said.

Miliband triggered a diplomatic row when he wrote in
'The Guardian' during his recent visit to India that the
"resolution of the dispute over Kashmir would help deny
extremists in the region one of their main calls to arms..."

Reacting to Miliband's observation, William Hague,
Shadow Foreign Secretary, said "good relations with India are
very important to Britain and must be handled with care and
consistency."

"If David Miliband's comments caused a diplomatic storm
in Delhi, then those relations will have been damaged by his
visit," said Hague, a Conservative leader. PTI HSR
RKM