Kashmir is the main cause of tension between India and Pakistan, says Nawaz Sharif; hopes to resolve the 'dispute' soon

Describing Kashmir as a ‘core issue’ between Pakistan and India, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the need for early resolution of the longstanding dispute between the two hostile neighbours.

"Kashmir is a core issue, which must be resolved. And in my view the sooner the two countries start working on it, the better it would be for them,” he said

Sharif said the issue of Kashmir should be discussed at all levels and forums. “This issue should be discussed not only at international forums, but also at Pakistan-India bilateral forums,” he added.

The Pakistani PM arrived in UK’s capital en route to the United States, where he will attend the UN General Assembly’s 70th session.

Indian PM Narendra Modi will also be reaching US for the UNGA summit on Wednesday. Both the leaders are likely to stay in the same Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Speculation is rife over whether Modi and his Pakistani counterpart will have a meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA summit.

Modi choosing Waldorf Astoria to stay is a break from tradition. In the past, Indian PMs have always stayed at the New York Palace Hotel. Not just India, US President Barack Obama will also be breaking the tradition by not staying at the Waldorf Astoria. The movie by Obama comes amid fears of surveillance and bugging at the hotel now owned by the Chinese.

The New York Palace has traditionally been the hotel where Indian heads of government stayed when they came for the UNGA. Modi in 2014 and before him Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had stayed at the New York Palace.

Modi and Sharif last met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Ufa, Russia. The meeting had ended with an announcement that Modi would visit Islamabad in 2016 for the SAARC summit, but no commitment was made on restarting the dialogue between the two countries.

Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire 25 times in September 2015, shelling Indian civilian and military positions using 120 mm, 82 mm mortars, Rocket Projectile Grenades (RPGs) and automatic weapons, according to Indian officials.