ISLAMABAD, 21 August 2004 — Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the US-led war on terror, has urged the United States to respect the sanctity of Muslim holy sites in Iraq and to avoid civilian casualties.
Musharraf telephoned the Commander in Chief of the US Central Command General John Abizaid last night to express concern about the sites, particularly the Imam Ali mausoleum in Najaf, Pakistan’s official APP news agency reported.
“The president expressed the hope that all possible steps would be taken by the troops present in Iraq to ensure care and sanctity of the holy sites and necessary measures would be taken to avoid casualties to innocent civilians,” it said.
Musharraf’s call came as thousands of protesters demonstrated across Pakistan after Friday prayers yesterday flaying the US attacks on Najaf and other Islamic holy places in Iraq.
In the port city of Karachi, protesters carrying portraits of Moqtada Sadr and other Iraqi Shiite leaders and placards denouncing the inhumane acts of the US-led forces burned an effigy of President Bush.
Top leaders of the Islamic scholars’ council Allama Hassan Turabi and Maulana Javed Subhani, addressing the rally, demanded the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. They said massive demonstrations would be held in the city tomorrow to protest the bombardment in Najaf and the violation of sanctity of holy places in Iraq.
APP said Musharraf also underlined the importance of the restoration of peace and stability in Iraq for its people as well as the entire region.
The report was issued after US warplanes pounded positions overnight around the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, where forces of Sadr have held out during a two-week rebellion that has killed hundreds.
Sadr was preparing to hand control of the mosque complex to religious authorities yesterday, but still rejected demands by the interim prime minister to disband his militia.
While Musharraf has been a staunch ally of the United States in its battle against Al-Qaeda and its allies since 2001, he has so far ruled out sending Pakistani troops to Iraq.
— Additional input from agencies
