Lahore: Growing ties between India and Israel in the defence sector would pose a serious threat to regional peace in South Asia, Pakistan's Defence Minister said.

In an apparent reference to the US sanction to India to go ahead and buy three Phalcon air warning systems from Israel, Rao Sikandar Iqbal said such developments could disturb the balance of power in South Asia.

The Phalcon systems were originally meant to be sold to China, but objections from Washington prevented the deal from going through. Tel Aviv then approached New Delhi and pending relevant government-to-government guarantees, the purchase is expected to be finalised.

According to sources in New Delhi, the Phalcons will augment India's existing defence requirements considerably.

'Online news' said Iqbal was talking to reporters at his residence in Okara City, which is located 127 kms South West of Lahore.

Commenting on senior Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman's visit to India, he said it was private one.

Rehman's views on improving Indo-Pakistan ties and on the disputed Kashmir issue were his own and not a reflection of the federal government's stance, he added.

Pakistan, he said, would continue to extend political, moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmir "freedom" movement.

On the tension prevailing on Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan, Iqbal reiterated that no troops had crossed over to create disturbances in Afghan territory.

He was responding to Afghan and US allegations of Islamabad extending covert support to disbanded elements of the ousted Taleban regime, helping them to regroup and to infiltrate into Southern and Eastern Afghanistan.

Relations between the two countries have taken a downward curve over the past month, with both sides trading charges on this issue. The Pakistan Embassy in Kabul was also attacked and was shut down for some time because of this.

Iqbal insisted that misunderstandings between Pakistan and Afghanistan had been removed.

ANI