The Information Minister, speaking at a luncheon with reporters, said that his country was concerned about a conflict between the two branches of Islamic faith because ``this would have a serious fallout''.

``That would be a disaster,'' he said adding, ``It would be divisive for the Muslim world and the fallout would be in several countries. That is why war should be prevented.''

He added that he was ``optimistic'' that an armed conflict could be avoided between Iran, following the murder of eight Iranian diplomats and a journalist in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif last month.

The murders heightened tensions between Shiite Iran and the rival Sunni Muslim Taliban, with Tehran threatening to exact revenge and sending tens of thousands of troops tothe border with Afghanistan.

Sayed reiterated that Pakistan was ``not meddling in Afghanistan'' and denied charges that Pakistani commandos were actively helping the Taliban forces. ``We want to be an honest broker between Iran and the Taliban,'' he added. Sayed said that his government was ``looking forward'' to a ministerial-level meeting on Monday at the UN on Afghanistan which will be attended by six of Afghanistan's neighbours - China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - and also Russia and the United States.

UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters on Friday that following the meeting, convened by UN chief Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General's special representative for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi would return to the region ``shortly thereafter'' for consultations. Brahimi, an Algerian diplomat regularly used by Annan as a trouble-shooter on sensitive issues, is expected to visit Iran and Pakistan, but details of his itinerary are expected to be firmed up during Monday's talkshere. Sayed also urged the UN to be more active in searching for a solution on Afghanistan.