February 25, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 23, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: President Gen Pervez Musharraf will meet the Iraqi foreign minister on the sidelines of the 13th Non- Aligned Movement Summit that opened in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Monday.

“Mr Musharraf’s meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri in Kuala Lumpur is confirmed,” well-placed sources said Monday, adding that he would urge the Iraqi minister that Baghdad should fully cooperate in implementation of UN Resolution 1441 to avert war in the Gulf.

The meeting acquires special significance at such a critical juncture when America ignoring the world opinion and Franco- German opposition to war is bracing for a military attack on Baghdad.

Pakistan being a Muslim country and a close allay of United States had been in a dilemma over the Iraq issue. Also, as a newly inducted member to the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan would have to vote on a second US-sponsored resolution on Iraq seeking the UN sanction to disarm Saddam Hussein.

Islamabad had been under pressure from the Bush administration to support the US moves on Iraq. President Bush recently called President Musharraf and US Secretary of State Colin Powell and other top United States officials had been in contact with him.

The French president also called him and the Saudi leadership had been in touch with the general, both calling upon him to push for a peaceful resolution to end the current crisis.