CMAG meets today to consider Pakistan's Readmission
'Pakistan Times' Monitoring Desk

LONDON (UK): Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) is meeting here on Monday to consider lifting Pakistan’s suspension from the 53-member club.

The nine countries comprising CMAG include the current chair Malaysia, UK, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Namibia, Uganda, New Zealand, St.Lucia and Papua New Guinea had suspended Pakistan in November last year following the imposition of emergency. The South Asian country faced a similar punishment in October 1999 when PML-N government was removed.

Diplomatic sources appear optimistic about Pakistan regaining its membership following the February 18 Parliamentary elections and with the return of the country to complete democracy, removal of restrictions on media and President Pervez Musharraf no longer in Army uniform.

The new Commonwealth Secretary-General and former Indian diplomat Kamalesh Sharma has also voiced his hopes about Pakistan’s readmittance.

The CMAG is the standing committee of foreign ministers which examines any abuses of democracy or human rights within Commonwealth. Sharma clearly believes the return to democracy after the recent elections had strengthened Pakistan’s case for readmission.

In a recent interview, he has noted that Pakistan, India and Bangladesh comprised 70 per cent of the Commonwealth’s population. If democracy could take firm root in the sub-continent, this would give a “huge boost” to the Commonwealth’s principles of good governance.

For the outgoing Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, her country’s readmission would be a wonderful send-off. For this would be the second time during her tenure as country’s top diplomat in Britain, that Pakistan stages a return to this organisation.

Following its suspension in October 1999, the country was reinstated in May 2004.

During the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s recent visit to Islamabad, he assured the Government about UK’s efforts and desire to quickly re-admit Pakistan to the Commonwealth.●