Commonwealth calls on Pakistan to remain engaged

Commonwealth leaders called on Pakistan yesterday to remain engaged with the group as they wrapped up a summit here that saw the suspension of President Pervez Musharraf's country.
Leaders from the 53-nation federation "called on the government of Pakistan to respond positively to the Commonwealth's desire to remain engaged and support the return of democratic government and the rule of law."
They endorsed Thursday's decision by Commonwealth foreign ministers to suspend Pakistan after Musharraf failed within a 10-day deadline to end emergency law despite progress in other areas, a statement said.
Islamabad had asked for more time but a committee of foreign ministers representing nine Commonwealth countries including Britain stuck to the deadline.
Pakistan responded on Friday by calling the suspension "unreasonable and unjustified" and threatening to pull out of the Commonwealth.
It was the second time Pakistan has been suspended, the first in 1999 when President Pervez Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup d'etat. It returned to the fold in 2004.
Musharraf also provoked this suspension after declaring a state emergency on November 3, placing the chief justice under house arrest, the detention of lawyers, rights activists and opposition members and the curbing of press freedoms.
An ultimatum issued 10 days earlier by the group of mostly former British colonies for Musharraf to repeal measures it described as being in violation of the organisation's core political values expired Thursday evening.
In the days beforehand Musharraf performed some measures appearing to go in the direction of allaying the Commonwealth's concerns, such as releasing some 3,400 prisoners including opposition leader Imran Khan.
A compliant supreme court also confirmed his victory in a poll last month and he now has until December 1 to swear himself in as a civilian president. He has vowed to quit as army chief before then.