June 3, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 2: The Commonwealth is constantly in contact with the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) to know about the developments on controversial LFO, the correspondence that took place between the organization and the opposition parties’ alliance revealed on Monday.

The Commonwealth foreign ministers in their meeting held in London on May 20 had upheld Pakistan’s exclusion from the group as the government-Opposition talks on the LFO were inconclusive.

The letter sent to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on May 12 by ARD Deputy Information Secretary Munir Ahmed Khan played a major role in the decision to keep Pakistan’s membership suspended.

Syed Sharfuddin, the special adviser of Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth, on May 20 informed Mr Khan about the decision of the organization through a letter.

Earlier, through a letter, Mr Sharfuddin had asked Mr Khan “to let him know of the outcome of the negotiations on the LFO.”

Responding to the request, the ARD secretary sent a letter to the secretary-general, Commonwealth. In his letter, he said: “A few days ago it was requested by the government to restore Commonwealth membership. It is submitted that the ARD has no objection to restore Pakistan’s membership but before deciding on this issue, the honourable countries of Commonwealth must consider that whether the democracy, for which the membership was suspended, has been restored or not.”