Commonwealth to debate Pakistan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7090121.stm

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Commonwealth foreign ministers are due to meet in London to debate a possible suspension of Pakistan.

The extraordinary session was called after President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency last week.

On Sunday Gen Musharraf met his critics halfway, promising to hold elections on schedule but refusing to say when he would lift emergency rule.

The Commonwealth meeting is expected to add to the international pressure on Gen Musharraf.

When Gen Musharraf seized power in 1999, Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth for five years.

Unapologetic

Ever since he imposed emergency last week, he has faced insistent demands from Britain and United States to restore the constitution and reverse the clampdown on pro-democracy activists.

But at a news conference on Sunday he hit back at his critics.

He promised to hold elections on time but he was quite unapologetic about the state of emergency, saying it was needed to combat Islamist militants and suggesting it could still be in place during the vote.

Gen Musharraf told journalists that despite criticism, so far his western allies had shown understanding about "the ground reality in Pakistan".

He also made it clear that he would not step down as army chief until a new Supreme Court validated his presidency.

And he refused to restore those judges dismissed under emergency measures.

He said they might have derailed democracy by ruling that his new presidential term was unconstitutional.