Commonwealth secretary general Don Mckinnon on Thursday said that Pakistan was unlikely to be re-admitted to the commonwealth until the military regime held general elections, even though the 'road map' announced by President Pervez Musharraf was a step in the right direction. Addressing a press conference here after meeting Musharraf, Mckinnon said that going by the standards followed by the Commonwealth in the past, Pakistan, which was suspended from the membership of the group after the October, 1999 military coup, could be readmitted only after the completion of the general elections. Even though Musharraf's 'road map' was likely to come for discussions at the Commonwealth ministerial meeting in September followed by head of the state meeting in October next, Pakistan was unlikely to be re-admitted until the completion of the poll process, he said. He, however, said the road map to restore democracy was a step in the right direction. Mckinnon said the poll schedule proved that Musharraf kept his promise to hold the polls within the three year deadline set by Pakistan's Supreme Court, and praised the president for holding local body polls.
On Musharraf's plans to bring in constitutional amendments before the polls, he said the president had assured him that the regime has not planned to make any major changes.
However, Musharraf at the same time said necessary amendments would be made within the limits set by the Supreme Court.
Bureau report