Pak Will Stay Suspended From Cwealth
THE SCHEDULED stopover of US President Bill Clinton at Islamabad has not affected the policy of the Commonwealth towards General Pervez Musharraf's military regime.
Retiring Secretary General of Commonwealth Chief Anyakou averred that Pakistan would remain suspended from the 54-member States Commonwealth until the military rulers announced a firm time-table for restoration of democracy in the country.
In case, democracy is not restored within two years, the Commonwealth would review the situation, said Chief Anyakou. He was addressing mediapersons at the Secretariat headquarters in Marlborough House. On Kashmir, he iterated that it was for the two countries, India and Pakistan, to broker a solution.
Kashmir is the root of unhappy relations between India and Pakistan and is an on-going concern to friends of the two countries. Commonwealth continues to hope that relations between these two key members would improve, he said.
Chief Anyakou, who relinquishes office after 10 years on April 1, admitted to have tried to broker a peace deal between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE. He informed that he had been in touch with both in the past 18 months. The truth is I have not succeeded. But, I have not given up (hope).