NEW DELHI, Aug 3: Palestinian Authority president Yasser Arafat has said he believes an upcoming visit here by Israeli premier Ariel Sharon as well as India’s plans to buy military hardware from the Jewish state could worsen tensions between India and Pakistan.

Sharon “can’t offer anything ... What he is saying (will) escalate the situation and war between Pakistan and India,” Arafat said in an interview with the Hindu newspaper published on Sunday.

Sharon’s visit, beginning on Sept 9, will be the first by an Israeli head of government since the two countries established full-fledged diplomatic relations in 1992.

It is expected to be dominated by talks on the war on terror, while New Delhi will seek Israel’s assistance in controlling infiltration along its border.

India, which recognized Israel soon after the Jewish state’s creation in 1948, has traditionally been close to Arafat.

But after establishing diplomatic relations with Israel amid a then-flourishing Middle East process, they have built up defence cooperation and exchanged visits at the level of foreign minister.

India and Pakistan have just begun a cautious thawing of frigid relations after coming to the brink of war last year.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested last year that India should deploy sensors to track the movement of infiltrators from Azad Kashmir to held Kashmir, the main bone of contention between the nuclear neighbours.

According to Arafat, New Delhi’s close relations with Israel were possible due to a peace agreement he signed with the then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1993.—AFP