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Pakistan facing Commonwealth sanctions

LONDON: Pakistan was on Monday facing the prospect of serious sanctions including possible suspension from the Commonwealth in a move by the 53-member organisation to put pressure on President Pervez Musharraf to lift the Emergency and restore democracy in the country.

An extraordinary meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Group (CMAG), comprising Foreign Ministers from nine member-countries, was discussing the issue at the time of going to the press amid intense speculation that suspension of Islamabad was high on the agenda.

The CMAG comprises Foreign Ministers from Britain, Canada, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Papua New Guinea, St. Lucia and Tanzania.

Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth in 1999 after the coup which brought Gen. Musharraf to power.

Although the suspension was revoked in 2004, Pakistan has remained on CMAG’s “watch list” amid repeated warnings to Gen. Musharraf that he must adhere to his promise on giving up the uniform.

“We want to see Pakistan adhere to the commitments that were made to me by President Musharraf not a couple of months ago,” Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said describing Monday’s meeting as a “very important” one.

The CMAG took note of Gen. Musharraf’s announcement that elections would be held, as scheduled in January, but voiced concern whether free and fair polls could be held while the Emergency was still in place.

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