Ans: Pak-Iraq Relations:
In our early days Pakistan’s relations with Iraq were friendly, Iraq gave us
diplomatic support by supporting us on Kashmir issue. Pakistan and Iraq
were together in the Bagdad pact, formed in 1955. [Iraq later left the pact
and it was reconstituted as CENTO).
i Relation between two countries started deteriorating after Bath Party came
into power in Iraq. The party had pro-communist inclination and was very
close to the USSR, while Pakistan was a part of the pro-American Central
Treaty Organization (CENTO). In 1973 large quantities of arms and
ammunitions were recovered from Iraqi embassy in Islamabad, this was
highly provocative, but Pakistan observed restraint.
ii As a member of “The Muslim Ummah Peace Committee”, Pakistan made
relentless efforts to make peace between Iraq and Iran. Pakistan opposed
Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait but when the Americans attacked Iraq and Iraqi
people started a resistance movement against the US, Pakistan supported
their right of self-determination.