Islamabad: With United States delivering a 48-hour deadline to Iraqi President Saddam Hussain to leave Baghdad or face war, Pakistan has ordered the closure of its Embassy in Baghdad and asked its Ambassador and staff to leave immediately.

Pakistan foreign spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told reporters the decision to close the Embassy was left to its Ambassador in Baghdad, but with the US President George W Bush issuing a deadline for Saddam, the staff along with 100 odd Pakistanis currently put up in Iraq have been asked to leave immediately.

Islamabad has already pulled out the non-essential staff earlier and orders for closure of the Embassy were issued on March 17 night, local media reports said.

Khan on March 17 said Islamabad had no plans to close its Embassy in Kuwait as it sees no danger to it. "We do not want to expect war to spill over to Kuwait. So I do not think they are in any physical danger," he had said.

PTI