ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: Pakistan is deeply concerned about the row between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog after the latter imposed on Tehran an Oct 31 deadline to prove that it is not running a covert nuclear weapons programme, Dawn has learnt through government sources.

Iran’s threat to quit the Non-proliferation Treaty and its point blank refusal last week to accept the deadline set by the 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has led to an alarming situation which is being closely monitored by Islamabad.

While publicly Pakistani officials are keeping a low profile on this matter, privately they concede that it is a “worrisome development” which could have grim ramifications for Pakistan as Iran’s neighbouring country.

The perception in official circles in Islamabad and Rawalpindi is that undue and “disproportionate pressure” is being put on Iran. However, keeping in view the ‘dual approach’ of the powers that be, it is believed that Tehran has to do “very careful thinking on it” and cannot just take the North Korea route.

“Iran cannot afford to be totally defiant as it is more vulnerable,” remarked a senior official. Iran is a Muslim country, it is in the neighbourhood of Iraq where there is a massive American military presence and it is close to Israel, he argued.

“The prospect of a country being attacked in your neighbourhood raises serious questions about security and refugees et cetera,” is how another official put it.

Both Iran and Pakistan have categorically denied media allegations about a sensitive nuclear link.

Analysts believe the row has the potential of brewing into a pretext for another US-led military invasion after Iraq.