Commonwealth leaders on Sunday called on Pakistan to remain engaged with the group as they wrapped up a summit here that saw the suspension of President Pervez Musharraf’s country.Leaders from the 53-nation federation “called on the Government of Pakistan to respond positively to the Commonwealth’s desire to remain engaged and support the return of democratic Government and the rule of law”.In an end of the summit statement, they also endorsed Thursday’s decision by Commonwealth foreign ministers to suspend Pakistan after Musharraf failed within a 10-day deadline to end the emergency, despite progress in other areas.Islamabad had asked for more time, but a committee of foreign ministers representing nine Commonwealth countries — including Britain — stuck to the deadline.Pakistan responded on Friday by calling the suspension “unreasonable and unjustified” and threatening to pull out of the Commonwealth.Leaders from the Commonwealth, a body representing nearly a third of the world’s population, also called on global trade talks to be concluded swiftly. They said the talks were vital for the global economy and for development, and called for the elimination of export subsidies and a reduction in tariffs.Their statement said though that the liberalisation of world trade must be “appropriately paced” and that international trade conditions should show greater responsiveness to the concerns and interests of developing nations.
