ELECTION 99
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Commonwealth confirms Pak suspension

Leaders of the Commonwealth nations have confirmed the suspension of Pakistan following the ouster of prime minister Nawaz Sharief, British Foreign Minister Robin Cook said today.

''We have confirmed the decision we took after the military coup, which is that Pakistan has to remain suspended from the Commonwealth,'' Cook told BBC from Durban, South Africa where the meeting is taking place.

''It's a very firm rule in the Commonwealth, you have to be a democratic government, you must not have a military regime,'' Cook added. He was speaking after a meeting of Commonwealth leaders gathered for the 54-nation group's summit today.

Cook said Commonwealth leaders had also expressed their concern that the regime in Pakistan had not given a time for a return to democracy. ''But we have said we are willing to help them in that process,'' he said.

General Pervez Musharraf ousted Sharief in a bloodless coup on October 12. Cook said the Commonwealth was very concerned about the charges that were being brought against Sharief, who has been in detention since the coup.

''We have made it clear we will expect the ex-prime minister to have proper access to legal counsel, a fair and open trial, one that we can observe,'' he said. The Commonwealth groups mainly former British colonies.

Reuters

Tell us what you think of this report