Govt hopes democratisation begins in Pak

As it keeps a close watch on the developments in Pakistan, the government today expressed the hope that the process of democratisation would begin in the Islamic republic where emergency was imposed last weekend.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said New Delhi wanted "peace, prosperity and stability" in Pakistan.

"We are watching the situation," he told reporters on the sidelines of the India-Africa Hydrocarbon Conference here when asked to comment on the developments in Pakistan.

"We do hope the process of democratisation in Pakistan to begin and people of Pakistan will get an opportunity to have their government as per their Constitution," Mukherjee said.

Earlier, India had regretted imposition of emergency in Pakistan and hoped that normalcy will soon return to allow transition to democracy.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf clamped emergency in the country on Saturday, suspended the Constitution and sacked the Chief Justice of Pakistan.