Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday (Apr 13, 2004) acknowledged that it has received renewed US request to contribute troops to Iraq but the American request pertained to troops guarding United Nations office in Baghdad being established by Special Representative to UN Secretary General, Lakhtar Brahimi.

"Yes, we received a request from US and it is being examined," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman, Masood Khan said in Islamabad. He declined to speculate whether Pakistan would contribute troops.

Khan said the US has made similar request to several other countries, including India, to mobilise a force to protect UN missions to be established in Iraq after it was vacated last year following a bomb attack in which several UN personnel including the head of the mission were killed.

Khan also denied reports that Pakistan has decided to dispatch 600 naval troops to Iraq to guard the Iraqi coast.

Last year Pakistan initially said it considered the US request to send troops to Iraq but decided against it later following threats of mass agitation by Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal, (MMA).