LAHORE - Water issue can bring Pakistan and India on the brink of war if it will not be settled by taking fast track measures. These views were expressed by Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, chairman steering committee PML-Q (Like-Minded Group) while addressing a press conference at party office on Tuesday. Factions additional secretary general, Nasir Mehmood advocate was also present on the occasion. Kasuri said Pakistan should take up the issue with India on the basis of equality, while New Delhi should also reciprocate Islamabads endeavours in this regard seriously keeping in view the possibilities of an armed confrontation between the two nuclear neighbours. He said international powers should influence India to settle the Kashmir issue, as it was vital for solving the issue of Afghanistan. Western powers should cover the interests of Pakistan in the region keeping in view that water was a matter of life and death for Pakistanis and could flash a war in the region, he added. He said due to the poor diplomacy of the incumbent rulers Kashmir issue was not mentioned in the declaration that came after Indian premiers visit to Saudi Arabia. However, Pakistan enjoys brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and they were time-tested and Indian premier visit to our brotherly country could not impact on Pakistan, he maintained. Kasuri said the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan should have written a letter to Saudi Government before the Indian prime ministers visit in which they should suggest them to put Kashmir issue in the declaration. He said Indian premier has abandoned his stance on Kashmir issue, which he took in Sharm-ul-Sheikh, while the incumbent rulers had also not adopted any clear policy on the unsettled issue so far. Kasuri said their government was near to a solution of Kashmir and that was also acceptable to the Kashmiris, however they had not struck any secret deal on Kashmir and the current government should made public the details of any alleged deal if it really possessed factual information in this regard. Paying rich tributes to the armed forces regarding their role in fighting terrorism, he said extremist elements were negating the teachings of Quaid-i-Azam and armed forces were doing a wonderful job by curbing them.