British Foreign Secretary, Rice express concern and regret over emergency in Pakistan

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband today expressed his governments grave concern at Pakistan President Pervez Musharrafs declaration of a state of emergency and urged him to act within the Constitution.

London/Istanbul, Nov.3 : British Foreign Secretary David Miliband today expressed his government's "grave concern" at Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency and urged him to act within the Constitution.

Miliband said that Britain recognised the threats to peace and security in Pakistan, but its future lay in "harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism."

"I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today, which will take Pakistan further from these goals," he said in a statement.

To declare a state of emergency is "very worrying" and could lead to an escalation of violence, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.

"There is a risk that confrontations and conflicts in the country will now escalate. This is serious and very worrying. This is absolutely not the solution to Pakistan's problems," he added.

In Istanbul, Turkey, visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice termed President Pervez Musharraf's decision as "very regrettable".

In comments broadcast on a US-based news channel, Rice, who is attending an international conference on Iraq, said: "We do not support extra-constitutional measures and we would hope that whatever happens they would be quick to return to the constitutional path."

ANI