Pakistan, which hosted a number of Indian delegations in May, is preparing to roll the red carpet for some more high-profile visits from India starting Monday, including that of Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani.
The week begins with the first-ever visit to Pakistan by Advani, who was born and brought up there before migrating to India after the partition.
He is visiting the country at the invitation of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri.
Advani is arriving with a large contingent of Indian media and is scheduled to visit Lahore, his hometown Hyderabad and Karachi during his weeklong stay in Pakistan.
During his two-day stay in Islamabad, he is scheduled to hold talks with Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other Pakistani leaders.
Advani's arrival would be followed by yet another high-profile event, the visit of Hurriyat leaders, who have been invited by Islamabad to visit the country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, from June 2.
After the arrival of the Hurriyat leaders, Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Ayer is scheduled to arrive in Lahore on June 4 and visit Islamabad the next day to hold talks with Pakistani leaders on the India-Iran gas pipeline project, whose fate is hanging in balance ever since the US openly expressed its reservations to both the countries over the project.
The US wants both India and Pakistan not to go for it until the problems relating to Iranian nuclear programme are sorted out.
Ayer too would be arriving with a large group of Indian media and is expected to visit Karachi where he worked as the head of the Indian Consulate before quitting the foreign service to join politics.
More from rediff