31 July 2004	Saturday	13 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

RIYADH: The Pakistani embassy in Saudi Arabia has appealed to its citizens working there, especially truck drivers, not to go to Iraq.

Manzar Hafiz, the embassy's community welfare officer, here said on Friday that the Pakistani mission was taking measures to raise awareness about the problem which includes visits to labour camps, and appeals through the media to urge Pakistani nationals to refrain from travelling into Iraq, because of the high security risks involved for Pakistanis working there.

The Pakistani embassy spokesman added that the mission is trying to generate awareness among Pakistani workers about the risks involved if they travel to Iraq. He said the killing of two Pakistani nationals on Wednesday by their Iraqi captors has further raised the security concerns of Pakistani nationals travelling to that country.

"We are waiting for confirmation of the news of Pakistanis killed in Iraq from the Kuwait-based Tamimi Group, a branch of which is in Dammam, which employed them," he added.

The Pakistan embassy in Riyadh has no record of the number of Pakistani workers travelling to Iraq on work assignments from their respective companies. Pakistani truck drivers and other workers are tempted to travel to Iraq because their companies offer them high financial perks.

The embassy has also urged them to report and register with the embassy if they at all decide to travel to Iraq. They (workers) should also report to the embassy if they are being coerced by their companies, it added. There are about one million Pakistanis employed in various parts of the kingdom.