ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: It appears that Pakistan will now be sending a de-mining contingent to Lebanon under the UN umbrella as opposed to the earlier plan of dispatching it as part of a bilateral arrangement.

According to well-placed government sources a decision in principle has been taken to send Pakistani de-mining experts under the UN aegis due to financial considerations. This will mean that the expenses would be borne by the UN.

“It is basically a funding issue as the cost of maintaining such a mission will be quite high and there are genuine financial constraints,” a senior official disclosed. Another official hinted that there could be other reasons as well like security concerns.

There are indications from military quarters that the selection process is already underway and currently the logistics are being worked out between the government and the UN.

De-mining experts from various countries under the UN mandate are already at work in Lebanon on a six-month rotation basis. So the likelihood is that the Pakistani team would go in the next batch. The signal will come from the UN which is also to determine the size and duration of the mission as it would be under its mandate.

The Pakistani contingent would most likely be deployed in the southern parts of Lebanon where explosive devices such as landmines, cluster bombs and booby traps continue to pose a deadly threat to the Lebanese people.

Last week the Foreign Office said the government was taking steps to send a de-mining contingent to Lebanon for clearing explosive devices which continued to pose threat to the Lebanese people. However, it did not go into any specifics or indicate the timeframe.

The government of Pakistan announced on September 9 its decision to send a special contingent to Lebanon exclusively for de-mining operations and clearing of debris, including unexploded ordnance in southern Lebanon.

The decision was prompted by strong appeals for humanitarian assistance by the Lebanese leadership and the OIC secretary-general.

During Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s visit to Beirut in August the president, the prime minister and the speaker of Lebanon had made a strong plea for Pakistan’s help in the area of de-mining and humanitarian assistance.

Pakistan has been part of several de-mining missions abroad under the UN aegis. The last one was after the first Gulf War along the Kuwait-Iraq border where Pakistani experts did extensive de-mining.—Q.A.