KEY POINTS:
The Prime Minister today backed the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group's (CMAG) action against Pakistan.
"The endorsement by leaders of CMAG's decision to suspend Pakistan, pending the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in that country, followed Pakistan's failure to meet conditions laid down by an extraordinary meeting of CMAG ten days earlier," Helen Clark said.
Her comments followed the first executive session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Uganda.
"CMAG agreed that the situation in Pakistan, where basic rights and the rule of law have been curbed under the Emergency Proclamation, represents a serious violation of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values.
"At the Chogm meeting this morning I pointed out the need for the Commonwealth to show consistency and uphold democratic standards, in light of the CMAG decision in December 2006 to suspend Fiji from the Councils of the Commonwealth following the coup."
Her comments echoed those of Acting Foreign Minister Michael Cullen and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters yesterday.
The suspension excludes Pakistan from Commonwealth meetings and from receiving technical assistance from the organisation.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has spoken out against the suspension calling it "unreasonable and unjustified".
In a statement published by news agency AFP it said the suspension, "does not take into account the objective conditions prevailing in Pakistan."
Commonwealth secretary-general Don McKinnon defended the decision and said Pakistan's reaction was expected.
"In these circumstances, you can be assured that every country that has been suspended will say that we didn't understand the unique circumstances that prevailed in their country at the time," he told AFP.
"There was no doubt in the mind of the Pakistan government what was expected of them by the Commonwealth; they never really opposed that."
It is the second time Pakistan has been suspended under Musharraf.
The country was excluded following 1999s bloodless coup and was not reinstated until 2004 when he promised to step down from his military position.
Mr McKinnon said the decision by CMAG, comprised of nine countries, was not unanimous.
- NZPA
