India silent on expelling Pakistan from Commonwealth nations

India has not taken any definite stand on the issue of expulsion of Pakistan from the membership of Common Wealth Nations ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs visit to Uganda to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

New Delhi, Nov 19 : India has not taken any definite stand on the issue of expulsion of Pakistan from the membership of Common Wealth Nations ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Uganda to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Briefing newspersons here in the national capital, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon reiterated India's stand of seeking a "stable and peaceful Pakistan."

The Commonwealth nations had acted strongly against Pakistan president General Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose a state of emergency in his country on November 3.

The commonwealth nations had threatened to disqualify Pakistan from the membership for imposing emergency and recent incidents of violation of democratic rights there.

"We want to have friendly neighbours with whom we can work with and that's what we would like to see, the transition to that situation. And we have worked with anyone who is willing to achieve that target. But frankly, that's a different issue from what will happen to the issue of Pakistan in the commonwealth," Menon said in the national capital.

He also said there are groups within Pakistan, which are creating various forms of instability there.

Last week, Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) had laid down five-point criteria for Pakistan to meet before action against it can be decided.

Pakistan was expelled from the membership of Commonwealth nations in 1999 when Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup, but after five years it readmitted Islamabad.

ANI