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| Wednesday, 26 May 2004 |
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Musharraf says Commonwealth lucky to have Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Tuesday (AFP) President Pervez Musharraf hit back at the Commonwealth's warnings that it would monitor Pakistan's democratic progress after readmitting it to the 53-nation club, a report said Tuesday "If we are happy to be in the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth should be proud of having a country like Pakistan joining it, so therefore we don't accept such conditionalities," General Musharraf was quoted by the Daily Times as telling t a students' convention. A nine-member committee of Commonwealth foreign ministers on Saturday lifted a suspension on Pakistan imposed after the October 1999 army takeover that brought General Musharraf to power. But the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) put Pakistan on notice, saying it had noted "concern" over the level of democracy since Musharraf's three-year military rule ended with 2002 elections. Musharraf's retention of the dual posts of army chief and president was also raised. The group said it expected that Musharraf fulfil his commitment, made in an agreement with Islamist opposition parties last December, to resign from the army to become a civilian president by year's end. Commonwealth secretary general Don McKinnon said Pakistan's democratic progress would be reviewed again at CMAG's next meeting in September. |
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