KAMPALA, Uganda, (CMC):

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states have thrown their support behind the Commonwealth and its decision to suspend Pakistan from the councils of the 53-nation grouping.

Late Thursday, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CWAG), set up specifically to deal with serious or persistent violations of the grouping's fundamental political values, announced the immediate suspension of Pakistan from the councils of the organisation.

deadline passed

The action came at the expiration of a previously set November 22 deadline for Pakistan to fall in line with Common-wealth requirements for President Pervez Musharraf's relinquishing of the post of army general; repeal of the state of emergency imposed and restoration of the constitution and the independence of the judiciary.

In putting forward the position of regional governments on the issue, Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister, Baldwin Spencer, said: "We (the Caribbean) are quite comfortable. I think at the level of the Commonwealth and looking at the precedents, I could not see us doing anything other than the decision that was taken. It is in keeping with the basic philosophy of the Commonwealth and it was felt that under the circumstances, at least that decision was in order."

Dominica's Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, noted that since 1999 the Commonwealth has had problems with Pakistan but he said Caribbean and other Commonwealth states remained hopeful of a return to democracy in the country.

"We are hoping that it will get the Pakistani government to understand that the Commonwealth is, indeed, an important institution and that we are concerned about the rights of the people, the constitutional rights of the people of Pakistan," Skerrit said.