ANKARA - Pakistan accepts to consider to send soldiers to Iraq in principle upon the demand of the United States while it has some reservations about the issue.
Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Riaz H. Khokhar, who is currently in Ankara for an official visit, met with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal.
Khokhar evaluated on Monday the issue of sending soldier to Iraq to A.A.
Noting that firstly they were against a war in Iraq, but now the existence of U.S. soldiers in this country was a reality, Khokhar said that it was not a secret that the United States requested from Pakistan a contribution to the force in Iraq.
Khokhar emphasized that on the contrary to what was known in public opinion, they told to the United States, which demanded soldiers from them, that they accepted to consider the issue in principle, not that they accepted to send soldiers in principle.
Noting that some important factors were on the agenda for them about the issue of sending soldiers to Iraq, Khokhar said that the most important of those factors was that it was necessary that the force which would be sent to Iraq should be under the umbrella of an international organization such as the United Nations or the Organization of Islamic Conference. He added that a call of leading groups in Iraq to Islamic countries was also significant for them.
Khokhar said that another important issue for Pakistan was the views of neighbor countries to Iraq and added that he was planning to visit other neighbor countries in coming days within this scope.
Recalling that in current days extreme Islamic groups in Pakistan announced a fetwa against sending soldiers, Khokhar said that this issue was very sensitive for Pakistan. He added that it was also important for them to know who would pay the expenses of the soldiers to be sent to Iraq.
Emphasizing that the issue whether Pakistan would send soldiers to Iraq was very important, Khokhar said that if the decision would be positive, they could hold consultations with Ankara again.
Khokhar said, ''this issue is very important for us and we have to be very careful. If Pakistan decides to send soldiers, this will be a very important step. We have to be deliberate and should not make mistake before we take decision.''
Khokhar said that they would be in close contact with Ankara about Iraq issue and he would return to his country as "informed" after his meetings with Ziyal.
Khokhar said, ''you are neighbor with Iraq. Thus, you are in a better location to learn and explain what is happening there. We are away from the region.''
Noting that they had taken up the Iraq issue generally during the meetings in the morning and sides had expressed how they saw the issue, Khokhar said that they would be in close contact with Ziyal about the issue.
When asked whether it was certain where their soldiers would be deployed, if they decided to send soldiers to Iraq or whether they had a preference, Khokhar said that they had not discussed the issue such a detailed way until now.
Turkish and Pakistani delegations will continue their meetings on Tuesday morning.
(GC-AÖ) 18.08.2003