ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: Pakistan has not deviated from its policy on the issue of sending troops to Iraq under the new UN resolution and implied it is incorrect to say that Islamabad has decided not to dispatch the troops.

This was stated by Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan in reply a question about a statement of Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed. The minister was quoted by press as having said in Multan that Pakistan had told the US it would not send troops to Iraq without approval of parliament.

At his weekly news briefing on Monday, the spokesman said: “There was no change in our policy of sending troops to Iraq. It has been consistent. The decision is the same that we have taken under UN resolution 1511 that it is a positive development but some aspects have not been adequately addressed.

“We are not contributing troops, but we still remain engaged with all the countries on that issue,” he added.—H.A