Former Sri Lanka army chief General Sarath Fonseka urged India and Pakistan to speedily resolve the Kashmir issue, adding that countries of the region should start behaving like neighbours.

“India and Pakistan must solve the Jammu and Kashmir issue and put an end to the misunderstanding, mistrust and suspicion or it will continue forever. Once solved, they will be able to look at the global issues better,” General Fonseka said at the International Counter Terrorism Conference in Jaipur on Thursday.

“Neighbours should think together, get together and try to solve each other’s problems,” he added.

Speaking about global terrorism, General Fonseka said legal governments plagued by extremist forces must deal with such elements via negotiations or military action.

“These people come with different names but these extremists try to create a world of their own. They want to get rid of people following different religions, who speak different languages, who belong to different cultures. They look dangerous at the moment, and given the chance, they will try to expand to different countries, so everyone must put in maximum effort to get rid of this problem quickly,” he said.

“Wherever there are these forces, there are legal governments, who are best placed to decide whether there should be dealt with through negotiations or through military action. They must make quick decisions and go ahead with whatever is required,” he added.

Speaking of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), General Fonseka expressed confidence that the Muslims in his country will not fall prey to their trap.

“The ISIS, like any other Islamic terrorist organisation, will try to seek every expansion. However, the Sri Lankan Muslims are coexisting peacefully with the rest of the country and I don’t think they will welcome situations like that in my country. We hope that the other countries affected are able to understand the danger and take necessary steps. The countries affected must take the leadership to settle their own issues,” he said.

On March 22, General Fonseka will become the first Sri Lanka Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. – IANS