London: Chances of Pakistan being readmitted into Commonwealth next week seems to have waned with Islamabad's recent decision to deport Shahbaz Sharif, a top Pakistani Opposition leader, on his return home and President Pervez Musharraf's reluctance to step down as Army chief, Commonwealth sources said today (May 16, 2004).

Though Britain is pressing member-countries to bring Pakistan back into the Commonwealth-fold, several African nations including Nigeria, Tanzania and Lesotho, seemed to be strongly opposed to the move, the sources said.

The nine-member Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group will meet on Friday and Saturday to decide whether to readmit Islamabad.

According to sources, the African nations believe Musharraf should not be allowed to continue in his second role as Army chief.

Pakistan was suspended from the 53-nation Commonwealth in 1999 after Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup.

Officially Britain, which will not take part in the meeting, is backing Pakistan because Musharraf has implemented judicial and democratic reforms.

The African nations, however, argue that Pakistan is being rewarded for its cooperation in the war on terror and have accused the Commonwealth of double standards.

Several African diplomats are angry that Zimbabwe - which ostensibly has a more democratic Parliamentary system than Pakistan was not readmitted last year. This decision prompted Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's President, to pull out.