ISLAMABAD July 27: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Tuesday made a joint appeal to the captors of two Pakistani workers in Iraq to release the hostages on humanitarian grounds.

The National Assembly also adopted a resolution on Tuesday demanding release of the two Pakistanis. President Musharraf and Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat in a meeting held at the latter's office said the Pakistanis taken hostage were economic immigrants working abroad to earn a living for their poor families, hence they should be released on compassionate grounds.

Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the National Assembly expressed its grave concern over the kidnapping and threats to the lives of the two Pakistani nationals held by militants in Iraq.

The house expressed the hope that the government of Pakistan would take steps for their safe release. The resolution, which was read out by People's Party Parliamentarians' Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, was moved after a consensus had been evolved among members of the opposition and treasury benches on its draft signed by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Aitzaz Ahsan and Naveed Qamar.

Speaking on the resolution, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said the government was fully alive to its responsibilities to protect the lives of expatriate Pakistanis.

"We made every possible effort for release of a Pakistani kidnapped earlier and I assure... this time also every avenue will be explored for the release of the kidnapped Pakistanis," Mr Kasuri said.

"There are no two opinions on our principled stance of protecting the lives of Pakistanis living abroad," he added. The foreign minister appealed to the kidnappers to honour the principles of Islamic brotherhood and international human values and release the kidnapped Pakistanis as early as possible.

PRESIDENT-PM MEETING: Sources said that President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shujaat in their meeting also discussed a wide range of issues, including the pros and cons of sending Pakistani troops to Iraq, the overall political situation obtaining in the country with special reference to the by-elections being contested by Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and also the progress made so far on the bill seeking amendments to the Hudood ordinance, sources said.

The two leaders agreed that any decision on sending troops to Iraq must have the support of parliament and the people of Pakistan. The president said that some progress should be made in connection with amendments to Hudood laws.