ISLAMABAD, June 16 (IslamOnline.net) - Pakistan has not taken any decision yet on the issue of sending its troops on peace keeping mission in Iraq, Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters Monday, June 16, in a weekly briefing.

He said Pakistan has been approached by many world leaders for contributing its armed forces in the reconstruction and peacekeeping in Iraq.

U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and various other leaders have invited Pakistani forces to take part in the peacekeeping in Iraq.

The spokesman, however, said a decision is still pending. “Internal consultations on this issue are going on but we have not reached a final decision,” Masood Khan told reporters.

He did not confirm reports that Pakistan has agreed to send troops to the Northern part of Iraq. Pakistan newspapers have been reporting that Pakistan has agreed to take control of peace keeping duties in the Northern part of Iraq whereas Turkish forces would be deployed in the South.

When the same question was put to the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a press conference in Islamabad Sunday June 15, he welcomed Pakistani forces in Northern Iraq without mentioning any particular details.

Addressing a joint press conference with Pakistani Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali on the first day of his Pakistan visit, Erdogan said Turkey would welcome Pakistan forces in Iraq, whichever part they are in.

The spokesman said Pakistan and India were on the course of resuming dialogue. When his attention was drawn to some of the hostile statements by some Indian leaders, he said he would not like to comment on every statement from India but said the overall environment was encouraging for the beginning of a dialogue.

On a statement from hawkish deputy Prime Minister L.K Advani that India would only talk to General Musharraf and not the Prime Minister Jamali, the spokesman said the statement was encouraging as at least “he is talking of talks” .

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office spokesman said President General Pervez Musharraf was leaving on a four nation visit Late Monday night spreading over two weeks. During this high profile visit, Musharraf would be meeting important world leaders including Bush, Blair, Annan, French President Jacque Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

This visit will keep Musharraf away from the country for over two weeks, hence this would be his longest ever foreign trip since October 99 when he took control of the country in a bloodless coup.