Foreign diplomats 'keenly watching' Musharraf's impeachment process

Islamabad, Aug 12 : Foreign diplomats posted in Islamabad have said that the ongoing development in Islamabad (Musharraf's impeachment) was an internal matter of Pakistan and that their respective countries won't interfere in it.

The diplomats also said they were "keenly watching" the impeachment process and regularly reporting back to their capitals due to "huge" interest in the future of Musharraf.

They also said Musharraf had a lot of following in various countries and the political end game involving his "fate" would remain in the headlines not only in Pakistan but also internationally.

They said that their governments would not support any supra-constitutional means to end the on-going tension between Musharraf and the ruling coalition.

On the condition of anonymity due to diplomatic norms, they maintained that the international community would only support 'constitutional and legal' steps to end the crisis.

However, the US embassy spokesman Lou Fintor and UK embassy spokeswoman Jennifer Wilkes came on record to explain their respective government's positions, reported the Daily Times.

Fintor said it was Pakistan's internal issue and should be decided by the Pakistani people.

He added that the US would support legal and constitutional steps to deal with the issue of impeachment. He also reiterated that Pakistan and the US were close allies in the on-going war on terror and the US would continue to cooperate closely with the democratic government in Pakistan.

Wilkes said the UK government, in principle, would not comment or speculate on the issue of impeachment. She also maintained that it was Pakistan's internal issue and it was for the people and politicians of Pakistan to decide about it.

Other diplomats expressed concern over the political instability resulting from the rift between the president and the ruling coalition and said the issue of impeachment should be resolved at the earliest. They said: "The impeachment of the president should not be allowed to linger on for months, as it will harm the economy of Pakistan."

ANI