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LAHORE - Pakistan faces suspension from the Commonwealth unless President Pervez Musharraf repeals emergency laws and takes other rapid steps to address his country's problems.
The 53-member body made the threat at a meeting in London, saying Musharraf must act by November 22 to avoid suspension.
The Commonwealth
acted as former Prime Minister Bhutto's was put under
week-long police arrest over planned mass protests by her supporters tonight.
Authorities have banned the protests, but opposition leader Bhutto insisted they would go ahead.
Musharraf set off a storm of criticism when he imposed emergency rule on November 3. He suspended the constitution, sacked most judges, locked up lawyers, rounded up thousands of opposition and rights activists and curbed the media.
The crisis in the nuclear-armed country has raised fears about its stability and its focus on battling Islamist militants.
"If after a review of progress Pakistan has failed to implement these necessary measures, it (the Commonwealth) will suspend Pakistan from the councils of the Commonwealth," the body's secretary-general, Don McKinnon, told reporters.
Among the measures demanded were the immediate repeal of emergency laws, the restoration of the constitution, the release of political prisoners, for Musharraf to step down as chief of the army, and for work to progress immediately on holding free and fair elections.
The threat was the latest attempt to put pressure on Musharraf to set Pakistan back on the path to democracy.
In Lahore, a Pakistani government official said earlier that Bhutto would not be allowed to hold the motorcade procession planned for Tuesday from the city of Lahore to protest against emergency rule.
Two-time prime minister Bhutto had urged Pakistanis of all shades to join the motorcade protest against Musharraf's emergency rule and vowed it would go ahead even if police tried to block her.
As darkness fell, hundreds of extra police moved in around the Lahore home of a party official where Bhutto was staying, setting up barricades on streets saying they were for her security. Party officials were not stopped coming and going.
LONG MARCH TO ISLAMABAD
Bhutto planned to lead a 3-4 day, 270km "long march" from Lahore to the capital Islamabad to demand Musharraf quit as army chief, end emergency rule, reinstate the constitution and free thousands of detained lawyers and opponents - including many from her party.
The scene was set for confrontation early tomorrow when thousands of supporters were expected to converge on the neighbourhood to begin the procession.
"Rallies and protests are banned, they are not allowed," Deputy Information Minister Tariff Aim Khan told Reuters when asked about the protest.
"Whoever breaks the law will be taken to task," he said.
