Khatami’s India visit unnerves Pak
Rajeev Sharma
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January, 23
Unnerved at Iranian President Seyyed Mohammed Khatami’s five-day India visit beginning tomorrow, Islamabad is looking for ways to divert attention from the visit and a knowledgeable assessment is that Pakistan-supported terrorist outfits may launch a high-profile attack during this period.

The intelligence agencies are understood to have warned against major terrorist strikes at high-profile targets and have sensitised the state governments about the possible threats emanating from notorious outfits like the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Sources in the Vajpayee government told The Tribune today that the Sunni-dominated Pakistan was apprehensive of the Shia-ruled Iran coming close to India in political, economic, strategic, energy and defence spheres.

Mr Khatami has conveyed a powerful diplomatic symbolism by agreeing to become the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day parade, something which no Iranian leader has done in the past. Besides, Mr Khatami also becomes the first leader from the Gulf region to be the chief guest at Republic Day’s parade.

What is worse, from Pakistan’s point of view, is that Mr Khatami’s visit is going to mark a watershed in the Indo-Iran relations and several agreements in different fields are expected to be signed. The significance Iran is attaching to India is reflected by the fact that Mr Khatami’s high-level delegation includes Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani, Science and Technology Minister Mostfa Moeen, and Oil Minister Bijan Zangneh. Mr Khatami had recently visited Pakistan and his delegation had included the Defence Minister as well but that visit yielded nothing substantive. Mr Khatami’s Islamabad visit was more of a balancing act on part of Iran.