Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Saturday said on December 18 the time is right for the resolution of Kashmir issue and urged the Indian leadership to seize the opportunity.

President General Pervez Musharraf has given India a great opportunity to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, Sheikh Rashid said while addressing a gathering in Rawalpindi on the death anniversary of a former Kashmiri, official Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

"The issues of Kashmir and Palestine are linked with peace in the world, " he said.

The minister said the Kashmir problem has been lingering on for so many decades and its solution cannot be found overnight.

Pakistan was now in a position where it can persuade India to negotiate on the issue and the Indian leadership should seize the opportunity to find an amicable solution in line with the wishes of the Kashmiri people, he said.

Source: Xinhua