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Pak. PM for Gulf to discuss Iraq crisis

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Jan. 20. Amidst growing opposition on the home front to a possible United States attack on Iraq, the Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, is visiting the Persian Gulf States for talks on the crisis.

The desire of the Pakistan Government to be seen as doing something on the issue marks a shift from the earlier `hands off Iraq' approach articulated by the President, Pervez Musharraf. On several occasions in the past, his standard response to questions on Iraq was that the "plate of Pakistan was full and it would not like to burden itself with more''.

Two reasons appear to have prompted the Pakistan Government to change its stand. One, there is growing concern among all sections within Pakistan, not just among the religious parties and organisations, about the possibility of a U.S. attack on Iraq. Second, on January 1, Pakistan joined the U.N. Security Council as a non-permanent member. However much it might wish not to get embroiled in the Iraq issue, Pakistan would have to take a position. It is against this backdrop that the visit of Mr. Jamali to the Persian Gulf States assumes importance.

The Minister for Information, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, said that Pakistan, being an important member of the Islamic Ummah, "has to play an historic role at this critical juncture". The objective of the visit is to firm up a `joint strategy' to deal with the situation. He said that the Prime Minister had already held discussions with King Fahd during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia. He regretted that some Opposition leaders were complicating the situation by issuing irresponsible statements.

``They are ignoring the supreme national interest for political gains. The Government is trying to safeguard the interests of the Ummah and at the same time save the country from isolation'', he said

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