Commonwealth suspends Pakistan
LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) — Pakistan has been suspended from the Commonweath — a 53-nation organization made up of the UK and its former colonies.
A meeting in Uganda decided on the move — pending the restoration of democracy and rule of law in the country, a Commonwealth statement said.
Pakistan imposed emergency rule on November 3. The Commonwealth statement said: The situation in Pakistan continued to represent a serious violation of the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values.
The suspension means no further Commonwealth programs will be carried out in Pakistan, and Pakistan cannot participate in any of the organization’s business, said Michael Frendo, the foreign minister of Malta who chaired Thursday’s meeting.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Supreme Court cleared the way for another five-year presidential term for General Pervez Musharraf.
The court, newly filled with Musharraf allies, sided with him on the final legal challenge to his candidacy.
Musharraf has said he will step down as Pakistan’s military chief before taking the oath this weekend as president.
He removed nearly all of the Supreme Court justices shortly after declaring the state of emergency.
On Wednesday Pakistan police released Pakistani opposition party leader Imran Khan from the Dera Ghazi Khan city jail in Punjab province, police sources said.
The former cricket star and leader of the Movement for Justice party staged a hunger strike and had said he would do so until the Supreme Court justices fired by Musharraf were reinstated. Khan’s party has campaigned for an independent judiciary.
Police seized Khan last week after he appeared at a student rally at the University of Punjab in Lahore, police said.
He had been on the run after escaping from house arrest days after the November 3 emergency order was imposed.
He faces anti-terrorism charges.
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