ISLAMABAD, Feb 14: A high-level meeting here on Friday discussed the growing prospects of war in the Gulf and hoped that President Saddam Hussein would fully cooperate with the UN inspectors to avert a US-led attack on Iraq.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali attended a marathon briefing on Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir conducted by the foreign minister, the foreign secretary and intelligence chiefs.

Informed sources told Dawn that the meeting was told that Islamabad faced a delicate situation vis-a-vis Iraq specially because of Pakistan’s membership of the UN Security Council.

The Bush administration could expect Pakistan to vote in favour of a possible new resolution seeking endorsement of its decision to wage war against Iraq. On the other hand, those opposed to a war against Iraq and wanting more time to be given to Baghdad might expect Pakistan to oppose the proposed US resolution. Pakistan could also abstain from voting. But even this option was loaded with risks.

The prime minister, the sources said, postponed his three-day visit to Iran beginning on Saturday due to the fast changing situation in the region.

According to these sources, both the president and the prime minister were of the view that Pakistan should continue supporting UN efforts to resolve the issue rather than backing any unilateral action by the US and Britain against Iraq.

The sources said that the meeting was informed about the impact of war on Pakistan and the region. It was agreed that oil prices would shoot up in case of an armed conflict in the region.

India’s continued efforts to malign Pakistan were also discussed and the meeting was reportedly told that for the first time ever an FIR was lodged by the Indian government against a Pakistani diplomat of the level of acting high commissioner.

The meeting was briefed in detail about various dimensions of Pakistan’s alleged nuclear support to North Korea. “The enemies of the country are trying to involve Pakistan in something which is unthinkable,” officials said. The president and the prime minister were said to have categorically stated that Pakistan was not supplying nuclear technology to any third country, and that the country’s nuclear programme was in safe hands.

The sources said the meeting was told that Pakistan would continue to extend support to the international community against terrorism. The president reportedly said that he had assured the Russian president that Pakistan would never allow anyone to use its soil for harbouring terrorists, including Chechen fighters.