ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The US Central Command chief, Gen Tommy Franks, who will be spearheading a likely military attack on Iraq, is arriving here on Jan 27, Dawn learnt through reliable sources on Tuesday.

Gen Franks will meet the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Lt-Gen Muhammad Aziz Khan, and Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen Yusaf. President Gen Pervez Musharraf is likely to receive him as well during his two-three days stay, informed sources said.

The fallout of the clash between the US troops and the Pakistan paramilitary guards along the Durand Line last month will include in the issues to be discussed during the CENTCOM chief’s meeting with Pakistan officials. What followed the clash, particularly the statement from the US quarters about Washington’s right of hot pursuit has irked Pakistan officials, remains an irritant between the two sides.

Pakistanis have maintained that US officials have gone back on an understanding that no side will issue any public statement on the issue. The understanding was reached at the highest level immediately after the border clash. Pakistan officials involved in the preparations of the agenda believe that the issue of the country’s sovereignty with respect to “hot pursuit” will be raised during the meetings.

Around 800 US troops are stationed at four bases in Pakistan, mostly in Balochistan.

“It will especially be reiterated that under no circumstances will the right of hot pursuit be conceded to the Americans,” said one official.

Pakistani authorities will also take up with the CENTCOM chief the recent comments by Gen McNeil, who commands US forces in Afghanistan, that Al Qaeda members and Taliban have all moved to Pakistan.

The question of the free movement of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives along the Pakistan-Afghan border has also been raised in the latest report of the Monitoring Group appointed by the UN Security Council. Pakistan’s officials reject these claims, saying there is no evidence to prove the charge.

Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN Munir Akram is supposed to take up the issue at a meeting convened by the Security Council to discuss the report in a couple of days.

The issue of Pakistan’s ingress on the Durand Line is also likely to be raised with Gen Franks. Islamabad maintains that the so-called ingress has been necessitated for coordination and observation required as part of Pakistan’s collaboration with the US military operation in Afghanistan.

Although Afghanistan-specific, the meetings with Gen Franks will be watched closely because of the imminent threat of a US attack on Iraq.

The question of US-proposed joint military exercises in Pakistan will also be discussed. Sections within the Pakistan Establishment believe that the timing of such exercises is crucial. Any joint exercises at this juncture, they warn, will reinforce the perception in the country that Islamabad is following the US policy on Iraq.

Also unlike Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey, which are currently involved in active diplomacy to avert a possible US military attack on Iraq, Pakistan has chosen to remain diplomatically inactive.

According to one analyst, Pakistan’s diplomacy on a crucial issue like the US policy towards Iraq, which will have definite implications for Pakistan’s own security, is not going beyond the rhetorical statement that Pakistan wants a peaceful resolution to the problem and is opposed to unilateral action against Iraq.