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Lahore: Mending of ties between Pakistan and India apparently is still a distant dream with governments on both sides indulging in usual rhetoric.

Pakistan's Information and Media Development Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has fired the latest salvo by squarely blaming India for foiling Islamabad's ties with Israel.

Addressing a seminar on "Kashmir, Palestine issues and Relations with Israel" on July 2, Rashid said, "Whatever India is doing in liaison with Israel is in front of the whole nation."

"India is trying its best to foil Pakistan's relations with Israel. If we were not a nuclear power than Pakistan's Defence situation would have been totally different," he added.

Describing the self-determination of Kashmir as a matter of "life and death for Pakistan", Rashid said going to war with India was not the solution. Islamabad, however, is "ready to face any kind of situation and the freedom of Kashmir would be the outcome of this war", should it take place.

"War is not the solution of issues but only the failure of foreign policies. However, if we are attacked than Pakistan's every child would fight for his land."

"I am only interested in Islam, Pakistan and Kashmir's freedom," he added at the seminar that was organized by the Nazria Foundation.

Rashid stressed that "jihad" (holy war) is a good thing, but the need of the hour is to work with wisdom. "The government knows there is a need of political stability in the country, but this is only possible when the Opposition sits down with it to solve all issues."

Justice (Retd) Javaid Iqbal, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Chaudhry Azaz Hassan, Dr Rafique Ahmad, Sardar Muhammad Chaudhry were among the others who attended the seminar.

ANI