KARACHI, March 15: A security analyst supported on Saturday the demand for President Saddam Hussein to step down, but opposed the US-led possible war against the Iraqi people.

The analyst, Ikram Sehgal, also called for pragmatism in the realm of foreign policy and was not averse to according recognition to Israel under certain quid pro quo condition to ward off US and Indian pressures.

Mr Sehgal was speaking on Pakistan’s foreign policy options in the context of the current Iraqi crisis at the department of international relations at Karachi University.

He strongly advocated for reciprocity in determining policy decisions and advised against being carried away by emotions, whether the issue concerned Muslim countries, India, the US or even Israel.

He was of the view that Pakistan could accord recognition to Israel in return for Israel refusing weapons to India.

In the context of the US-Iraq stand-off, Mr Sehgal claimed that “President Saddam Hussein has killed more Muslims, used poison gas against his own people and countries around Iraq. He has never spoken for Pakistan and in fact, in the 1970s, sent weapons to destabilize Pakistan. We should know who is our friend and decide keeping Pakistan first in mind.”

He believed that the UAE’s proposal for the Iraqi leader to step down was the best way out of the present crisis. But Pakistan should not allow a war against the Iraqi people.