BAGHDAD, Aug 19 (AFP) - Iraq`s prime minister issued a "final call" for Shiite Muslim militiamen to disarm Thursday, saying he was still prepared to accept a personal document from their leader Moqtada Sadr on a truce.
"We will categorically not allow armed militias. This is the final call to them to disarm, vacate the holy shrine and engage in political work," Iyad Allawi told a news conference.
"We have heard that Mr Moqtada Sadr is prepared to comply with the request of the government and national conference.
"We welcome such an announcement and confirm our readiness to accept this initiative of his provided that he crystalises it into a tangible and committed position through a declaration from him personally," he added.
Reiterating conditions laid down earlier at a news conference in Najaf by Minister of State Kassem Daoud, the premier called on Sadr to make his intentions clear in person, rather than through lieutenants and spokesmen.
"We have only heard from people who work with him, we haven`t heard from him directly and we would like to hear from him his final position before we move to the next stage," Allawi said.
"The door is still open," he added, saying delegates from a national conference who Sadr refused to meet on a peace mission to Najaf, were prepared to return again.
"This delegation is ready to go back again if he clearly states he is willing... to meet those conditions. Personally. He has to do it personally," Allawi added.
If Sadr failed to lay down his arms and leave the shrine, "I can assure you there will be military action against him," Kassem said.
Defence Minister Hazem al-Shaalan said his troops were ready for action should they be called out to crush the Mehdi Army.
"They are ready for action.. but we`re waiting for the government to give Moqtada Sadr more time to think," he told the news conference.
Allawi said his government was ready to pardon Sadr and his militia after they disarm and vacate the shrine.
"When we hear from him accepting the conditions, we will give him and his group protection. He (Sadr) has to follow a simple procedure of abiding by the conditions," he said.
"There is lot of space for him to join the political process. From our side we have shown our good intentions by reopening his newspaper Hawza and offering amnesty scheme."
Allawi recently scrapped a ban on Sadr`s mouthpiece, Hawza, which was levied by the coalition forces before the handover of power in June.
The prime minister also said that in the wake of a military action against Sadr, the government would not be responsible for any damanges to the Imam Ali shrine.
"We will adopt all peaceful means to preserve the shrine, until we take a deterrent step," he said.
"I have not issued any order to attack the shrine. If anything happens the militia will be blamed for taking the shrine hostage and using human shields like the way Saddam Hussein used to."
Allawi brushed aside any concerns of a military action in Najaf affecting his interim government.
"We are not here to stay. This government is only up to January, after which the people of Iraq will decide the new government," he said referring to the proposed national elections in January 2005.