Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon in Islamabad, Pakistan (File Photo - 19 Sep 2007)

The Commonwealth has called for urgent talks to discuss the state of emergency in Pakistan.

Secretary-General Don McKinnon Tuesday scheduled what he called an extraordinary meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) set for November 12 in London.

The foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Papua New Guinea, St. Lucia, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania making up the CMAG will meet next week to discuss the situation in Pakistan.

The Commonwealth has warned Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the past that continuing as both president and army chief is incompatible with democracy.

The 53-nation group expelled Pakistan for five years after the 1999 coup that brought General Musharraf to power.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.