No support for idea of independent Kashmir: Pakistan PM

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said there is no support for the concept of independent Kashmir, in either Pakistan or India.

And that the idea had no basis in reality.

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Abbasi was speaking at the London School of Economics, at a 'Future of Pakistan 2017' conference.

Abbasi added though that with regards to Kashmir, talks were the only way forward.

The prime minister added that his country was committed to fighting the "menace" of terror.

And that "Pakistan is a country that is fighting terror for the world".

Abbasi added though that there was "an issue of automatic weapons" in his country. And that "there are 0.5 million automatic weapons in private hands in Pakistan".

Abbasi also touched upon the civilian-military relationship in his country.

"Our civil-military relations are evolving," Abbasi said. "It has been tenuous in the past but (it) is evolving."

And he talked of the need to widen the tax base.

"In a country of 200 million people, only 1.2 million pay taxes," he said.

On education, Abbasi said, the country's biggest achievement was that people were interested in it, they valued education.

And they were sending their children to school.

Abbasi also added that the "women of Pakistan today are far ahead of men".

To help bring in foreign investment, he said: "No company has lost money in Pakistan."

And finally ended with saying: "Our relationship with China is close to the hearts of both countries."