Commonwealth suspends Pakistan

KAMPALA, Uganda, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Commonwealth foreign ministers, meeting in Uganda, suspended Pakistan from the 53-nation group, citing President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule.

The ruling, issued in Kampala, comes even as Pakistan's Supreme Court -- hand-picked by Musharraf after he issued his Nov. 3 emergency decree -- dropped the remaining petition against his re-election to a second term.

The eight foreign ministers, including Britain's Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, announced Pakistan's immediate suspension after condemning the emergency rule, Britain's Telegraph reported Friday.

"This decision was taken in sorrow, not in anger. I'm absolutely clear that democracy and the rule of law are the best allies of stability in Pakistan," Miliband was quoted as saying.

The other ministers, preparing for the full summit in Kampala of the leaders of sovereign nations that were once British colonies, said the action was taken because Pakistan's failure to fulfill its obligations in accordance with Commonwealth principles, the report said.

With the Supreme Court clearing his re-election, Musharraf is expected now to keep his promise to give up his army leadership and become a civilian president.

The BBC reported some Asian Commonwealth nations had tried to resist Pakistan's suspension.

The report said it is the second such action against Pakistan since 1999, when it was expelled after Musharraf captured power after a bloodless military coup.