Paris, July 03: Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf today reiterated Islamabad's willingness in principle to send peacekeepers to Iraq in response to US and British requests, but said a deal had not yet been reached. "In principle, we agree to send forces, but there are certain modalities, certain contentious issues which need to be looked into before we take this decision", Musharraf said after talks with French president Jacques Chirac. The Pakistani leader kicked off a three-day visit to France, the final stop on a four-nation tour that included a high-profile stop in Washington, by meeting with Chirac and having lunch at the Elysee presidential palace.
Pakistan said earlier this week it was prepared to send troops to Iraq, but only under the auspices of the United Nations or the organizaton of the Islamic conference. The French leader, who staunchly opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, reiterated his support for an "increase role for the United Nations" in Iraq, according to his spokeswoman Catherin Colonna.

The two leaders also discussed the global fight against terrorism, Colonna said, specifically the trial of three Islamic militants sentenced to death by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court earlier this week for their involvement in a bombing that killed 11 French engineers last year in the port city of Karachi.

Bureau Report