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Pak-Iran ties hit new low over Vajpayee's visit

Pakistan has taken strong exception to the reported statement of Iranian foreign minister that Islamabad should work with New Delhi and Teheran to end the civil war in Afghanistan, stating that India had no role to play in resolving the conflict.

Iranian envoy to Islamabad is being summoned to the foreign office to seek clarification on the statement reportedly made by Kamal Kharazi while welcoming Prime Minsister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Tuesday on a four-day visit to Iran, media reports said in Islamabad on Thursday.

Quoting an unnamed senior foreign ministry official, the Pakistan Observer said, "Pakistan has always maintained that India has no role to play in Afghanistan but Kharazi has shocked Pakistan by saying that Delhi, Teheran and Islamabad should work closely to bring peace in Afghanistan."

"The most astonishing aspect of the Iranian statement was that Afghanistan will top the four-day Iran-India talks in Teheran," he told the newspaper.

Pakistan believed that India has nothing to do with Afghanistan and there was no reason why Pakistan should work with India to find a solution to Afghan problem, he said.

"Pakistan feels that the Afghan situation will be more complicated if Iran encouraged New Delhi to get involved," the newspaper reported.

Pakistan wanted to seek an official clarification from the Iranian envoy over the content and context of Kharazi's statement before lodging a formal protest, the official said.

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