ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) will approach the Commonwealth to seek clarification of its recent decision of maintaining Pakistan's membership despite the fact "a serving military general is still ruling the country", says deputy information secretary of the alliance, Munir Ahmed Khan.

The alliance, he saw, regretted that instead of putting pressure for the restoration of democracy in Pakistan, the Commonwealth was merely expressed its displeasure over Gen Musharraf's decision to retain his army uniform in violation of the pledge he had made to the nation that he would quit the office of the chief of the army staff by December 31, 2004.

Mr Khan said that by stating that Gen Musharraf should put off his uniform by 2007, the Commonwealth had actually endorsed that there was democracy in Pakistan. He said democracy had become a global issue and it could not be termed a country's internal affair.

He said the Commonwealth's decision showed that it had become a weak organization. Mr Khan said the ARD would send a letter to the Commonwealth secretary-general, Don McKinnon, asking him to review the decision of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and exert pressure on Gen Musharraf to quit the office of the COAS as early as possible.

He said several countries, including the US, had stated that Pakistan was gradually heading towards democracy, implying that there was, at present, no democracy in the country.

Mr Khan said the ARD would tell the Commonwealth that there was no provision in the country's constitution paving way for the president's election through a referendum. Moreover, he said, the Commonwealth would be informed that parliament had become a rubberstamp and the prime minister and his cabinet were puppets in the hands of military generals.