ISLAMABAD -- A senior Pakistani analyst on Wednesday said that Iran and Pakistan hold the key to the rebuilding and rehabilitation of war-ravaged Afghanistan.

In an interview with IRNA here, Thir Amin, a senior professor at the Quaid-i Azam University's Department of International Relations, called for closer Pak-Iran cooperation on Afghanistan.

He said that both Islamabad and Tehran were two key players in the region with special reference to rehabilitation and rebuilding of their neighboring country.

"Pakistan and Iran's interaction was necessary for a bright future for Afghanistan that will be in the best interests of not only the two brotherly countries of Afghanistan but also for the entire region," he added.

To a question on the presence of U.S. forces and officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in some parts of Pakistan, he said their prolonged presence in the country will not serve any purpose.

Tahir Amin was of the view that activities of U.S. forces and FBI officials were a cause of serious concern for the people of Pakistan and could have a serious impact on the country.

"Islamabad should hold supreme its own interests instead of serve the interests of the U.S. or any other country as such a policy could cause harm," he contended.

It merits mention here that voices have been raised from some quarters about the activities of FBI men in certain parts of Pakistan. However, the government and even President Pervez Musharraf himself have made it clear that about a dozen FBI officials were in Pakistan "just to help the local authorities in information and intelligence gathering about the Al-Qaeda or Taleban elements." To a question on Pakistan's cooperation with the U.S. on nabbing the terrorists, he said "there is a sharp difference between cooperation and interference."

Tahir also was of the view that the U.S.-Pakistan cooperation had crossed the limit of cooperation and that the former was now interfering in the country's affairs. The analyst vehemently declared that "Pakistan's policies should reflect the aspirations and feelings of its own people, and even against Al-Qaeda or Taleban; there should be a home-driven policy."

To a question on the subject of safeguards for Pakistan's sensitive installations in the prevailing security scenario, Tahir confidently said that the military was not ready for any compromise on the nuclear program, which was purely for defense purposes.

"I don't foresee any danger to our nuclear program which is a deterrance against any possible misadventure by the enemy and the military has been very firm on that," he remarked.

About the pull-out of U.S. forces, he hinted on an early withdrawl of the foreign forces from Afghanistan, saying the chances of higher casualities would force the U.S. forces to pack up soon.

In reply to a question about the possibility of linking the Kashmir freedom movement with terrorism, he said the Pakistani government should move ahead with extreme care in regard to its policy on Kashmir.

Tahir maintained that India could take advantage of any situation created in haste by Islamabad, with obvious reference to the ongoing just freedom struggle in Kashmir.

Kashmir is a disputed piece of land between Pakistan and India.

both countries have fought two wars on Kashmir.