Commonwealth calls emergency Pakistan meeting

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has called an extraordinary meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) to discuss the declaration of a state of emergency in Pakistan, the group said today.

It said the special meeting of foreign ministers from Canada, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Papua New Guinea, St Lucia, Sri Lanka, Britain and Tanzania would take place in London on November 12.

Pakistan was suspended from the councils of the 53-nation group of mainly former British colonies in 1999 following the coup that brought General Pervez Musharraf to power.

Placed under annual review, Pakistan was reinstated to full membership in May 2004 but has remained on the CMAG watch list ever since.

REUTERS MP AS0012