Commonwealth suspends Pakistan over emergency rule

Kampala: The Commonwealth has suspended Pakistan after President Pervez Musharraf failed to meet a deadline to lift emergency rule.

The 53-nation Commonwealth had given Musharraf until Thursday to lift the state of emergency he imposed on November 3 and quit as army chief.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group said in a statement that the suspension will say "pending the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in that country."

The organisation further said that while there had been some progress in Pakistan, many of the Commonwealth's demands had "remained substantially unfulfilled".

While suspension has few immediate practical consequences, analysts say it could further isolate Pakistan and discourage foreign investment.

It was the second time Pakistan had been suspended after being barred in 1999 when Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup.

The Commonwealth, grouping 1.8 billion people, or more than a quarter of the world's population, will begin a three-day summit in Kampala on Friday.