ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s outgoing army chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Tuesday warned India not to mistake his country’s restraint over tensions in Kashmir for weakness as he handed over power to his successor, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Lasting peace in South Asia could not be achieved without resolving the Kashmir issue, Sharif said while addressing a change of command ceremony at a stadium near the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

In a blunt message, Sharif, who once referred to Kashmir as an “unfinished agenda of Partition”, said: “Unfortunately, in recent months, increasing state terrorism in (Kashmir) and India’s aggressive stance have endangered regional peace.

“I want to make it clear to India that mistaking our policy of patience for weakness would be dangerous for it.”

Sharif added, “This is the reality, that in South Asia, lasting peace and progress is impossible without the solution of the Kashmir issue. For that, international community’s special attention is necessary.”.

Tensions between the two countries erupted following a terror attack on Pathankot airbase in January that was blamed on the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.