Musharraf contacts Iran prior to Middle East visit
Cairo: Terrorism will top the agenda during Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Egypt, analysts believe.
“Musharraf’s greatest concern in common with Egypt is terrorism. Talks will probably center on Egyptian militants in Pakistan . that will top the agenda, Diaa Rashwan, expert at Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic studies, told The Daily Star Egypt.
Musharraf is due to visit Egypt as part of a four-day Middle Eastern tour that began Saturday in Saudi Arabia and will also include Syria, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry released a statement Saturday that Musharraf will discuss the Middle East crisis and explore ways to seek a permanent solution for the Palestinian issue.
Musharraf himself stated “I consider Palestine as a core issue.
The Ministry also announced that Musharraf had called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Friday to inform him of his visit to the region.
“He (Musharraf) might be playing a mediating role between Iran and the so called moderate states of the region like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as there are well publicized tensions between these states and Iran, Rashwan said.
However, in an interview with The Daily Star Egypt, a senior diplomatic source downplayed this angle, highlighting that Pakistan and Iran have many mutual interests and a phone call between presidents of neighboring countries which share a common border is not something out of the ordinary.
In any case according to Rashwan, even if Pakistan is attempting to mediate between the power blocs of the region, the mediation will be limited in scope. “If anything, it would have little impact because the main player in this dispute, the United States, is not involved. Pakistan, being a close US ally, will not go against American wishes, he said.
In the statement, Musharraf “shared his deep concern with the Iranian president over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, in particular Palestine, and the need for fresh efforts to push for a just settlement of the Palestinian issue.
Rashwan said that this could also be an attempt on Musharraf’s part to win points on the domestic front. He said “Musharraf faces strong opposition within his country, so he would be trying gain credit on the domestic level. Pakistan is an Islamic country and its people feel strongly about Palestine. He could be trying to show his people his concern for Muslims worldwide.
