Pakistan Embassy in Baghdad closed and PIA starts makin’ arrangement to evacuate Pakistanis from the Gulf Region if war breaks out beyond Iraq.
Pakistan closes embassy in Baghdad
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday closed its embassy in Baghdad and asked its staff to return immediately as US-led war looks imminent in Iraq, a Foreign Office spokesman said.
Pakistan earlier advised its ambassador and his staff in Baghdad to take all security measures and make his own assessment of the right time to leave the country, Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told weekly press briefing.
The embassy’s non-essential staff were evacuated last month. He ruled out the possibility of evacuating Pakistanis from neighbouring Kuwait. **“We don’t expect war to spill over to Kuwait. So I don’t think they (Pakistanis) are in any physical danger there,” ** he said.
When asked about President Bush’s statement that Monday would be the last day for Iraq diplomacy, the spokesman said Pakistan wants that the UN weapons inspectors be given a chance to complete their job. “Our position is that there should be a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis and that peace should be given a chance.”
The spokesman said the government felt that Iraq was cooperating with the UN weapons inspectors, a point made by the inspectors themselves. “We feel that these inspectors should be given a chance,” he added. Pakistan, he said, would vote in the best interest of the country, keeping wishes of its people in mind.
As regards the negative impact that the Iraq war would have on Pakistan, the spokesman replied: “The government of Pakistan is quite cognizant of all such impacts and will take adequate measures in this regard.”
PIA plans to evacuate Pakistanis in Gulf
Pakistan exits Baghdad
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - With the possibility of war in Iraq increasing, Pakistan has closed its embassy in Baghdad and withdrawn its staff from Iraq, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan said Monday.
“The embassy was closed and the personnel were withdrawn yesterday,” Khan told The Associated Press. **“Everybody has left Iraq.” Khan’s comments came after the United States advised U.N. weapons inspectors to begin pulling out of Baghdad, raising concerns that a U.S.-led attack on Baghdad was imminent.
Pakistan pulled out nonessential staff from Iraq a few weeks ago."**
Although a key ally of the United States in the war on terror, Pakistan has told Washington it will be difficult for it to support a war against Iraq.
He encouraged Iraq to continue cooperating with U.N. inspectors.
“So far, they are cooperating with the inspectors. They are implementing the resolution,” he said. “Even inspectors have said that Iraq is cooperating.”
Khan reiterated that Pakistan would not allow the United States to use the country’s bases for an attack against Iraq. Washington has never made such a request.
“Pakistan’s stance on this issue is very clear. We even did not allow the use of Pakistani bases against Afghanistan, and Iraq is too far away,” he said.
Khan said Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s upcoming visit to Washington would provide an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations and the regional situation.
Jamali is to visit Washington March 26-28, following a three-day visit to China.
“Our support to the United States in the war on terror will continue,” Khan said.
