C’wealth Keeping Watch On Pak Developments

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Newspaper reports here quoted Don McKinnon as saying that parliament in Pakistan was the supreme authority to take any decision about the domestic affairs of that country. If parliament goes for any legislation on account of retaining the office of the Army chief by the president of Pakistan, it would be equally acceptable to the Commonwealth. He expressed the hope that Pakistan would continue to actively take part in the activities of the grouping.

To a question, Don McKinnon said return of Pakistan to the fold of the forum in May last was the result of restoration of democracy in Pakistan in the wake of local bodies elections and subsequent polls for regional and national assemblies.

These elections have installed democracy in Pakistan in broader extent and the elections were free and fair up to a large extent. The Commonwealth sent its observers to monitor the polls on the request of Pakistan. He said elections were monitored thoroughly by the observers.

He was of the view that President Pervez Musharraf gave an impression about quitting the office of the Army chief by Dec 31 this year when 17th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted by parliament. The deadline of this understanding has enough time to complete. The Commonwealth is watching the relevant developments with interest.

To a question about Kashmir, McKinnon said if Pakistan and India both asked the grouping to play a role in resolving the dispute only then the organisation would come into action. The Commonwealth takes up the issue of Kashmir whenever the prime minister of India, minister of external affairs of India, the president of Pakistan and foreign minister of Pakistan are interacted, he maintained.

The Commonwealth is interested in the well-being of both the countries. The attitude of both the leaders is positive. It is regrettable that the dispute of Kashmir has caused the death of more than sixty thousand innocent people, he added.

To yet another query the secretary general said the Commonwealth was getting actively engaged in provision of educational welfare and other activities of social uplift of that country. The Commonwealth universities are taking keen interest in this regard, he said.

He appreciated the role Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr Maleeha Lodhi was playing. "She is actively engaged with the Commonwealth to extract Pakistan’s rightful share out of the programmes of the organisation," he added.