Deutsche Welle: Can Iran's Rouhani win over Pakistan?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is set to tour Pakistan on Friday, March 25, but there is hardly any fanfare in the Pakistani media. Visits by Iranian authorities are relatively less important in Pakistan than the ones made by Saudi monarchs. It is no secret that Islamabad has always had closer ties with Riyadh than Tehran.

That does not mean that President Rouhani's Friday visit carries no significance. There has been a lot at stake for both Tehran and Islamabad since the lifting of some international sanctions on Iran and the growing Saudi-Iranian hostility in the Middle East.

On the one hand, Pakistan considers Iran a potential partner which can help overcome its dire energy needs, and on the other, it does not want to offend Saudi Arabia by getting too close to Tehran. Islamabad, therefore, is trying to balance things out by claiming it wants to bring the Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and the Shiite Iran closer, but experts say it is a tightrope walk, which could also prove to be dangerous.

Rouhani is aware of the concerns and limitations of his country's ties with Pakistan. But analysts say he still wants to maintain "normal" relations with the neighboring country. MORE