Islamabad, Oct 27: Pakistan would send troops to Iraq only if sanctioned by Parliament, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said today, placing the final decision in a legislature with a powerful religious coalition opposed to the peacekeeping mission. Ahmed said the US request for troop contribution was still being considered by the government, and any favorable response would then be submitted to the National Assembly. "A US request to send our troops to Iraq has been under consideration," Ahmed told the associated press. "But we will not send troops to Iraq without seeking approval from the Parliament." Ahmed would not say when the government would seek a vote.
As a member of the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan voted earlier this month for a resolution calling on all UN members to contribute troops and money for Iraq's reconstruction. Bureau Report