Pakistan expected to be suspended from Commonwealth
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Nov 22, IRNA
Pakistan-Commonwealth
Commonwealth foreign ministers were meeting in Uganda Thursday ahead of the 53-member nations' biennial summit, which is expected to confirm the suspension of Pakistan following the imposition of emergency rule earlier this month.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was reported to have made a final plea on Wednesday night for Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf to lift the state of emergency so that elections can go ahead as scheduled on January 9.
But according to the Guardian, it appeared that Brown did not feel the assurances were sufficient.
The UK premier was also said to have talks with the US President George W Bush, this week in an effort to maximize and coordinate the pressure on President Musharraf.
"I welcome the action he has started to take to return Pakistan to normality, including setting an election date," Brown was quoted saying.
He said he had been assured by Musharraf that he will do his utmost to lift the state of emergency in time for free and fair elections to be held and to give up his military role and responsibilities as soon as possible.
"I have also called on him to release remaining political detainees and to fill restore press freedoms," the British premier said. He also insisted that the Commonwealth of mainly former UK colonies was built around democracy.
The suspension would be Pakistan's second coming after it was expelled for five years after Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999.
The Guardian suggested that the main issue of discussion at the foreign ministers' meeting in Kampala is likely to be the terms of Pakistan's re-entry, rather than whether it should be suspended.
Musharraf was given a 10-day ultimatum by the Commonwealth at a specially convened meeting in London last Monday to either lift emergency rule or face suspension.
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