27 October 2004	Wednesday	12 Ramazan 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: Discussions are currently going on within the increasingly influential European Union on what position it should take in case President Gen Pervez Musharraf decides to retain his uniform beyond Dec 31, well-placed diplomatic sources told Dawn.

Signals from representatives of key-member states are that most of the EU countries do not support any drastic steps against Gen Muharraf's government due to their short or medium term geo-political interests.

It appears that the EU like the Commonwealth is also likely to take a position that is embedded in flexible pragmatism rather than principles of democracy advocated by it.

The general view among most of the 25-member states is not to downscale level of diplomatic relations with Pakistan in such an event, it is learnt. "In other words, the EU member states would let democracy-related concerns regarding Pakistan take a back seat," said a European diplomat.

"There is realization now that taking a moral high ground is not productive," remarked one European envoy. "Active engagement at political level is required to play an effective role in improving the state of democracy and human rights in Pakistan," said another European diplomat.

Although EU has denounced the fact that military continues to exert strong influence in politics and government in Pakistan, it is likely to take a softer line on the uniform issue like Commonwealth secretary-general Don Mckinnon. Short of endorsing the two-office bill in Parliament that was passed recently by the National Assembly, he said during a visit here last week that the Commonwealth will respect the Pakistani parliament's decision on this contentious issue. The bill allows Gen Musharraf to continue as both army chief and president.

According to diplomatic sources in the EU, President Musharraf's decision to retain uniform would have consequences but it would not result in any extreme measures.

The EU may issue strong condemnation but there will be no dire consequences as such, predicted one envoy from an important EU member state. "There are bound to be critical questions and demands but no ultimatums," is how he summed it up.

Most EU governments would prefer using tools in the 3rd generation EU-Pakistan Trade and Cooperation Agreement to exert pressure on it to move in a certain direction, a European diplomat pointed out, underscore that diplomacy is best conducted when discreet. The tools would relate to economic and political cooperation, he said.

The new trade agreement, negotiated during the Nawaz Sharif government, was ratified by the EU parliament in April this year after almost three years' delay.