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PAKISTAN''S MILITARY RULER VISITS BARHRAIN, IRAN WEDNESDAY - SOURCES

PAKISTAN'S MILITARY RULER VISITS BARHRAIN, IRAN WEDNESDAY - SOURCES TEHRAN, DEC 4 (KUNA) -- PAKISTANI MILITARY RULER GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF WILL START A NEW AND SHORT TOUR, IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS TO BAHRAIN AND IRAN, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTRY SOURCES SAID.
RADIO TEHRAN QUOTED THE SOURCES AS SAYING, THE TOUR IS THE THIRD TO ISLAMIC STATES SINCE HE TOOK OVER POWER AFTER TOPPLING THE DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED PREMIER NAAWAZ SHARIF LAST OCTOBER 12.
HE WILL ARRIVE IN MANAMA ON WEDNESDAY ON A SHORT VISIT WHERE HE WILL MEET WITH THE AMIR OF BAHRAIN SHEIKH HAMAD BIN ISSA AL-KHALIFA, THE RADIO SAID.
ON THE SAME DAY, HE WILL HEAD FOR TEHRAN TO HOLD TALKS WITH IRANIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMMAD KHATAMI BEFORE RETURNING TO ISLAMABAD.
FOLLOWING THE COUP, THE PAKISTANI MILITARY RULER VISITED SAUDI ARABIA AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ON OCTOBER 25.
HIS SECOND TOUR, WHICH WAS ON NOVEMBER 7, TOOK HIM TO QATAR, KUWAIT AND TURKEY.
MUSHARRAF IS EXPECTED TO TRY TO IMPROVE TIES WITH IRAN, WHICH BECAME STRAINED AFTER THE ISLAMABAD-BACKED TALEBAN MOVEMENT KILLED A NUMBER OF IRANIAN DEPLOMATS IN AFGHANISTAN A YEAR AGO. (END) FA.HA KUNA 041237 Dec 99NNNN