By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS
London : The Commonwealth has told Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that his nation will be suspended from the international body in ten days’ time if he does not quickly end a state of emergency, roll back a string of repressive laws and revert to democracy.
“The message is: ‘you got about 10 days’,” Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon declared after a meeting of a key group that decides on how to deal with persistent violators of democratic principles among the Commonwealth’s 53-member states.
“We believe you can achieve this. If you ignore the principles, you know the consequences,” the plain-speaking diplomat added after a marathon, five-and-a-half-hour-long meeting Monday at the historic Marlborough House in London.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), which comprises the foreign ministers of nine nations, decided told Musharraf that Pakistan will be suspended if he does not shed his army uniform, repeal emergency provisions, restore the constitution, free jailed activists and lift media curbs by Nov. 22.
Nov. 22 is when leaders of the Commonwealth begin a three-day summit in Kampala, with the situation in Pakistan expected to dominate their agenda. If Pakistan does not meet the conditions demanded Monday, the CMAG – currently comprising Britain, Canada, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania – will advice Commonwealth summit to suspend its membership.
In its statement, the CMAG asked Musharraf to move rapidly towards the creation of conditions for the holding of free and fair elections which the Pakistan leader has promised by Jan. 9 next year, saying his emergency rule “seriously violates the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values.”
The ministers expressed concern that the date on which President Musharraf had promised to step down as Chief of Army Staff, Nov. 15, had been moved to Nov. 22 and said it was alarmed at a recent amendment to the Army Act which retrospectively gives military courts the right to try civilians on charges of anti-national activities.
“This affords Pakistan a last chance to immediately address the issues and to take the necessary measures,” said Maltese Foreign Minister Michael Frendo, who also chairs the CMAG and is bidding to become the next secretary-general.
“We had the option of suspending Pakistan and seeing what happens later. But we decided to remain engaged with Pakistan for a short period of time and push forward” for democratic change, he added.
The meeting appeared to have generated heated discussions, with Frendo admitting: “I’ve chaired easier meetings.”
The consensus statement, however, was vague over some of its demands – perhaps reflecting disagreements among members.
McKinnon, asked if he would demand the reinstatement of ousted Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, said “Read the statement. It says: ‘restore the independence of the judiciary’.”
Mohammed Akram Sheikh, a senior Islamabad-based lawyer who is in Britain to lobby against the Musharraf regime, said the CMAG should have asked for restoration of all 13 Supreme Court judges sacked by Musharraf.
“To ask for independence of judiciary means nothing – the statement should have been more specific,” he said.
“How will they find out whether or not the independence of judiciary has been restored in mere 10 days?” added London-based Pakistani barrister and Queen ‘s Counsel Sibghatullh Kadri.
In line with the United States and Britain, the Commonwealth also welcomed Musharraf’s announcement promising elections by Jan. 9 but said the polls will not be credible unless the Pakistan president lifts the state of emergency that were imposed Nov. 3 on grounds of fighting terror.
Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth in 1999 after Musharraf ousted then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in an army coup but was restored as a full member five years later after Musharraf promised to shed his military uniform – a key Commonwealth demand that remains unfulfilled.
At their meeting in Malta in 2005, Commonwealth leaders declared that a single individual holding the offices of head of state and chief of army staff is incompatible with the basic principles of democracy and the spirit of the Commonwealth’s principles. They said that until the two offices are separated, the process of democratisation in Pakistan will not be considered irreversible.
However, Musharraf continues to be both president and army chief.
Currently, two countries remain suspended from the Commonwealth – Zimbabwe for what were widely seen as rigged elections in 2002, and Fiji for a military coup last year.