April 10, 2003	Thursday	Safar 7, 1424

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UNITED NATIONS, April 9: Pakistan is consulting with the UN Security Council members to move a resolution or a statement to protect holy places in Iraq and to restore law and order in the country, diplomats here told Dawn on Tuesday.

“The holy sites in Iraq are among the most venerated in the world of Islam and since most of Iraq seems to be under the US-led coalition widespread looting has emerged in the country,” said one diplomat. “There is a need to consider the situation beyond humanitarian issue,” he added.

Sources said the United States was amenable to consider a resolution or a presidential statement calling for the protection of holy sites in Karbala, Al-Najaf and some other places. However, it is wary that such a resolution could prompt some Council members to add stipulations to end the US-led attack of the country thereby jeopardizing its position.

Nevertheless the diplomats here say that most of the 15 members in the Council are willing to consider such a move to protect holy places, restore rule of law and to reaffirm their position to uphold the unity and territorial integrity of the country.

At a meeting of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) on Friday Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram observed that a number of essential principles had been accepted in the Resolution 1472, including the preservation of unity and territorial integrity of Iraq, right of Iraqi people over their national resources, and the right of the Iraqi people to chose their own government.

Mr Akram told NAM meeting that the Security Council Resolution 1472 adopted on March 28, on the humanitarian aid aspect in the post conflict scenario, included primary responsibility of the occupying power for the welfare of the Iraqi people.

The resolution also included a call for the international community to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people.

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