29 July 2004	Thursday	11 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

UNITED NATIONS, July 28: Pakistan on Wednesday called upon the United States and other members of the UN Security Council to remove the threat of sanctions from a resolution on Sudan, or to facilitate continued political negotiations with the government there.

However, after hours of closed door negotiations between the 15-member UN Security Council members, diplomats here said any substantial changes in the resolution were unlikely, and the resolution could be adopted as early as Thursday or Friday.

The European Union has joined the US in asking for punitive measures against Khartoum if it doers not rein in the militias roaming and doing the killing in the Darfur region.

The US on Tuesday circulated a revised text of its draft resolution, which was introduced last week. The revision came after Pakistan, China and Algeria made a strong case for more time to enable the Sudanese government rein in the marauding militias. But the latest draft provided no significant concessions to China, Pakistan and other countries.

"We've got the same lineup of people who have doubts," Britain's UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said after closed Security Council consultations, adding a vote would likely be held on Friday.

Mr Parry said he wouldn't rule out a change in the wording to threaten further measures instead of sanctions. Experts said such a change would make little difference in substance but could satisfy opponents.

However, the American officials were determined to retain the threat of sanctions, stressing the urgency of the crisis. The US Congress has labelled it genocide, a crime punishable under a 1948 UN convention.

Pakistan's UN Ambassador Munir Akram cautioned against rushing to judgment that Sudan was not implementing its promise to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to crack down on the pro- government Arab militias, improve security and provide better access for relief efforts.

He said that tough measures against Sudan, a friendly Islamic country, might discourage its cooperation in resolving the crisis. Mr Akram said that some progress was being made and that the sponsors need to take an objective view of the situation, refraining from punitive measures that could prove to be counterproductive.

The UN Secretary-General lamented on Tuesday that his appeal for funding had failed to collect even half of the $350 million it requested in March to run its relief operation in Darfur province.

In an effort to reach that goal, Annan will send private letters asking Japan, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Belgium - which have provided a total of just over $11.5 million in contributions since March - to increase their funding for the UN operations.