September 13, 2002	Friday	Rajab 5, 1423

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BRUSSELS, Sept 12: Pakistan has stepped up efforts to reassure the European Union on plans to restore democracy and halt alleged cross-border infiltration into occupied Kashmir, but senior EU diplomats say they remain concerned at suggestions that the Pakistan army will retain a dominant role in national politics.

“Constitutional changes in Pakistan should not lead to new structures,” a senior European diplomat told Dawn, adding: “It will be problematic for us if the National Security Council becomes a new centre of gravity.”

The message is being conveyed to Islamabad by European diplomats through a number of diplomatic channels. In Brussels this week EU security chief Javier Solana made it clear to National Reconstruction Bureau Chairman Tanvir Naqvi that the EU was keeping a close eye on Pakistan politics and India-Pakistan relations.

Europe’s overriding concern is that next month’s elections must be free and fair, the Pakistan press must remain free and constitutional changes being made by President Musharraf must not disrupt moves towards civilian rule and democracy.

Pakistan certainly won plaudits for its post-Sept 11 role in fighting global terrorism, an EU diplomat insisted, adding, however that “there can be no blank cheque for the government”.

Faced with growing EU unease over the direction of Pakistan politics, the government is stepping up efforts to explain what Gen Naqvi described as the “context” of recent developments in Pakistan.

“The EU is a very influential organization ... and it needs to get a deeper understanding of Pakistan,” the NRB chairman told Dawn. “We have the feeling that the EU needs to be briefed about our process of establishing sustainable democracy,” he underlined.

Naqvi said he had told EU officials that “elections are taking place ... there is no cause to doubt it,” adding that it was also important to “reconstruct the institutions of state”.

Seeking to ease EU concerns at the army’s post-election role in affairs of the state, Naqvi insisted that the National Security Council was only an advisory body and would have no decision-making powers. It was needed to “avoid the politics of confrontation and replace them with the politics of cooperation”, he insisted.

But the EU remains wary of President Musharraf’s plans and is adamant that the NSC should not emerge as a parallel and overriding structure, dominating Pakistan politics even after a return to civilian rule. “We’ll be watching closely,” said one diplomat.