ABU DHABI, Jan 26: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Sunday reiterated that he was on a mission to evolve consensus on Iraq among the Muslim states in the region.

Talking to newsmen, the prime minister said his impression about the United Arab Emirates and the leaders he had met was that no one wanted war. The real issues, he added, were the prosperity of peoples and well-being of their respective countries.

He said any war or conflict would affect the whole region. “Though we are at some distance but we can’t remain distant from Ummah.” The world opinion is that the best choice is to avert the war. If Iraqi authorities can extend more facilities to the UN weapons inspectors, it is possible to avert the impending war, Mr Jamali said.

The prime minister said every country had its own choices, preferences and priorities but one thing was definite that they wanted to avoid war. Therefore, he told a questioner, it was not the question of being pro-Iraq or otherwise. “We want that Iraqi people and the country should not have war.”

The prime minister said the statement of Secretary of State Colin Powell about the UN resolution No 1441 that it empowered the US to take direct action against Iraq was quite serious.

Mr Jamali said UAE was appreciative of Pakistan’s initiative for making efforts to avert war.

“We as the government of Pakistan have decided to knock on every door in the region and meet with our brothers and discuss the (Iraqi) issue. We want to exchange our views with the regional leadership in a bid to defuse the tension Iraq and avoid a war”, he said.—APP/dpa