ISLAMABAD, Aug. 4 Kyodo (EDS: UPD...

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 4 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING PAKISTAN CONSIDERING SENDING PEACEKEEPERS TO LIBERIA)

Pakistan has agreed in principle to forward one army division to Iraq at the ask for of the United States and Britain, the sum of two units main occupation powers in Iraq, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.

The wishes of the Pakistani race would have to be taken into consideration when arriving at a final decision, Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Ahmad Khan told a weekly just discovereds briefing.

Khan said the soldiers would be sent solely at the request of the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic parleys the Gulf Cooperation Council or a legitimate control in Iraq.

Khan said the U and Britain have separately asked Pakistan to send forth a division of peace-keepers to Iraq. A Pakistan Army division comprises nearly 15000 soldiers.

Acknowledging that a section of the Pakistani population, particularly religious parties, make a stand againsts sending troops to Iraq, Khan said he possibility of goods such people would have no objection if the [i]troupe[/i]s are sent under legitimate secrete and to be helpful to the the public of Iraq.

''There is no split between the army and civilians'' upon the question of sending company s to Iraq, Khan said.

Meanwhile, official sources said Pakistan's military leadership plans to appropriate in Rawalpindi on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the issue of sending bands to Iraq.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf has called a meeting of the Joint Chief of Staff Committee forward Tuesday and a meeting of the corps commanders forward Wednesday, the sources said.

Official sources also confirmed that Pakistan was examining the feasibility of sending a military peacekeeping contingent to Liberia.

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