Islamabad, Mar 11: Islamic parties today demanded Pakistan go further than abstaining from a United Nations Security Council vote on war on Iraq and cast an outright 'no' vote against military action. "Pakistan as a member of the Security Council should boldly say no to any move for war," Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, an MP from the six-party Islamic alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) told a news agency.
The cabinet decided unanimously late last night to abstain from the vote, expected this week, on a draft resolution by the United States, Britain and Spain authorising military action, ruling party senator Mushahid Hussain told a news agency. Pakistan is one of the council's 10 rotating members and has resisted playing its card on how it would vote.
A senior official from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-e-Quaid (PML-Q), the party of the Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali, said the decision was taken to avoid "a serious public backlash." Islamic parties have led two massive rallies in the past 10 days against war on Iraq, drawing hundreds of thousands onto the streets.
"Pakistan is a nuclear power and a member of UN Security Council and it should have courage to say what millions of Pakistani have said during the protests in Karachi and Rawalpindi," Ahmed said.
"Allah (god) has provided this opportunity to Pakistan. The whole Muslim world is pinning great hopes on us, so we should play our role instead of avoiding voting against the resolution." Bureau Report