NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD, 13 March 2003 — Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday urged that Iraq be given more time to disarm and warned that any unilateral action would leave the United Nations “deeply scarred”.

Vajpayee’s statement, delivered in Parliament under pressure from the opposition, marks the first time New Delhi has expressed a clear position on the looming debate in the Security Council on the Iraqi crisis.

“If unilateralism prevails, the UN would be deeply scarred with disastrous consequences for the world order,” Vajpayee said.

At the same time, Pakistan has appealed for more time to find a peaceful solution to the Iraqi weapons crisis, as the United Nations Security Council moves closer to voting on whether to authorize war after a March 17 deadline.

The appeal came in a speech by Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali televised nationwide late Tuesday, in which he said that Pakistan had decided that supporting war against Iraq would be “very difficult” but stopped short of saying it would vote against a UN resolution authorizing a US-led attack.

“Our Cabinet, our government, has taken a unanimous decision that it will be very difficult for Pakistan to support war against Iraq,” Jamali said.

“We would not want to see the destruction of the Iraqi people, we would not appreciate the destruction of Iraq as a country. It would be very difficult for any Pakistani to endure that,” he said.

“Hence it is an appeal to the United Nations, to the countries in the world, that more time for peace should be given to Iraq.”

However, Jamali stopped short of spelling out how Pakistan would use its rotating membership of the council in a vote expected this week on a resolution authorizing war unless Iraq is deemed to be complying with disarmament demands by March 17.

He did not state whether Pakistan would reject, support or abstain from voting on the draft resolution drawn up by the United States, Britain and Spain. The resolution needs the support of nine council members.

Jamali’s speech was a “clear indication ... that Pakistan will abstain from the vote,” Sen. Mushahid Hussain, from Jamali’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, told AFP.

“We will state that categorically when the time for the vote comes.”

Political analyst Mohammad Afzal Niazi said Pakistan was keeping its options open until the last minute, when the level of US pressure would determine its hand.

“This speech indicates that Pakistan is still keeping all its options open,” he said.

“The first option is that if the US gets nine votes exclusive of Pakistan they might not insist on a ‘yes’ vote from Pakistan, but be satisfied with an abstention.

“But anything short of nine votes, and the pressure for a yes vote on Pakistan will be immense. In that case Pakistan might give in.”

In his Parliament speech Vajpyee said any action against Iraq should be through consensus in the Security Council.

“If permitting more time and formulation of clearer criteria can facilitate a decision with the UN framework, we believe this option should be given a chance,” he said.

“There should be a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Therefore I have said if more time is needed, it should be given.”

Later, replying to questions on his statement, Vajpayee said the number of inspectors could also be increased.

“Whatever action has to be taken, should be through the Security Council. There is no other way,” he said.

Reports in the local media yesterday said the US has been pressing India, a big democracy of the Non-Aligned Movement, to adopt a neutral position on the military option.

Vajpayee, however, came out strongly against possible go-it-alone plans by Washington.

“The government of India would strongly urge that no military action be taken which does not have the collective concurrence of the international community,” he said.

“Governments should be changed and made with the people’s mandate. No external power should change a regime and form a regime with its support. This is wrong and it cannot be supported.”

Expressing concern at the hardships the Iraqi people had suffered for more than a decade, he said sanctions against Iraq should be lifted if Baghdad complies fully with the Security Council resolutions.

After the statement, legislators wanted to know why India did not condemn the US for its threat of war.

“When there is action, we will condemn it,” the premier replied.

Vajpayee said peace in the Gulf region was of vital interest to India.

He acknowledged the contribution of over 3.5 million workers in the region, saying their “welfare is of great concern to us.”

Vajpayee said Indian nationals in Iraq, numbering less than 50, had been advised to leave the country. He, however, added that a large-scale dislocation of Indians in neighboring countries was unlikely.

India conducted the world’s largest civilian airlift since World War II during the Gulf War, evacuating some 100,000 of its nationals from the Middle East in 1991.

Vajpayee said India had adequate foreign exchange reserves to meet a rise in crude oil prices.

Over 60 percent of India’s crude oil imports are sourced from the region.

The main opposition Congress party expressed dissatisfaction with the prime minister’s statement. “The statement of the prime minister deliberately confines itself to generalities,” party spokesman Jaipal Reddy told reporters. “Our view is we must take the same stand as Russia, Germany and France and oppose unconditionally any unilateral action taken by anybody by bypassing the Security Council.”

The Times of India newspaper yesterday said that India had been promised a “major” role by Washington in the post-conflict reconstruction of Iraq.