‘Difficult for Pak. to back U.S. draft’

By B. Muralidhar Reddy, The Hindu, Tuesday 11 March 2003

ISLAMABAD MARCH 10. Amid tremendous pressure from within and without, the Pakistani Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, announced today that it would be very difficult for Pakistan to support war against Iraq.

At a hurriedly convened press conference, Mr. Jamali said while Pakistan had very good relations with the U.S., its position on Iraq was based on principles and national interest.

While the announcement of Mr. Jamali amounted to declaration that Islamabad would not back the U.S.-U.K. tabled second resolution on Iraq, the Prime Minister was not willing to say it in so many words.

Mr. Jamali’s much-awaited announcement on Pakistan’s position came after a special meeting of his Cabinet where the Foreign Secretary, Riaz Khokar, made a presentation. The Federal Cabinet unanimously decided to continue to base Pakistan’s position on Iraq on principles and the national interest. Pakistan has consistently stated that Iraq must comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions. Also that peace must be given a chance and all options for a peaceful resolution must be explored, an official statement said.

Interestingly, Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain, Parliamentary Leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Qauid-e-Azam) also attended the presentation as a special invitee.

Mr. Jamali told the Cabinet that Pakistan’s position would be based on principles and not ‘expediency’. He told the meeting that he would also be taking the nation into confidence shortly on this very important issue.

Earlier, the Foreign Office spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan described the U.N. Inspectors’ report on Baghdad as positive and said Pakistan hoped maximum efforts would be made for a peaceful resolution.

There is an opportunity to resolve this problem (Iraq crisis) peacefully (and) that is what the report of (UN) Inspectors has said and we feel that peace should be given a chance, he said.

To a question, he said Pakistan was discussing the matter with all the members of the U.N. Security Council and other friends.