KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The bright Afghan sky was clear and sunny but there was a huge, dark cloud looming over the horizon to the southeast in Pakistan as Peter MacKay arrived here Sunday.
Making his first visit to Afghanistan since becoming Canada's defence minister in mid-August, MacKay was quick to react to the political crisis in Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities rounded up opposition leaders Sunday, a day after military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf suspended the constitution, replaced the chief judge and blacked out independent TV outlets, saying the country must fight rising Islamic extremism.
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup but had given a conditional pledge to step down as military chief and become a civilian president this year, imposed a state of emergency, dashing recent hopes of a smooth transition to democracy for the nuclear-armed country.
"We certainly condemn the move away from the democratic principles and respect for rule of law,'' said MacKay.
"We condemn anything that would undermine the progress that we hoped we would see in free and fair elections and as a country that espouses very strongly democratic values and respect for rule of law, respect for human rights, he said''
"We see this very much as a step in the wrong direction.''
MacKay last visited Afghanistan in January when he was still foreign affairs minister. At that time he was en route to Pakistan to have a "blunt talk'' with Musharraf over border concerns.
The fact that the Taliban are living and training just inside the Pakistan border and then slipping into Afghanistan to attack coalition forces has been a sore point between the two countries.
MacKay said the current situation in Pakistan is adding to instability in the region.
"We're very concerned in regard to the stability, in regard to the impact it will have on regional security here. We're calling for free and fair elections, the reinstatement of the judiciary and we're hoping they will continue their efforts towards regional security in Afghanistan,'' said MacKay.
"The specific concerns relate to the refugees who are in Pakistan and what impact it may have on their movement in and out of the country,'' he added. "We're concerned about the impact it will have politically throughout the region.''
It is estimated there are between 1.5 and two million Afghan refugees living Pakistan -- most of them fleeing close to three decades of war in their homeland.
MacKay said it appeared the actions of the Pakistani president were "somewhat erratic at this point.''
The defence minister intends to spend a few days in southern Afghanistan, touring projects being worked on by Canada's Provincial Reconstruction Team and getting a chance to go outside the wire with Canadian soldiers out in the field.
"I hope first and foremost to have a chance to visit with the troops, to meet them directly and to help underscore how much support there is in our country for what they're doing on the ground,'' he said. "I want to hear from them about the success because there has been considerable success.''
One of the successes that MacKay is most excited about is the growth of the Afghan security forces. He said he envisions a time when Afghanistan will be able to provide its own security.
"To bring them up to a level of competence, a level of ability that moves them to eventually having their own security force able to secure their borders and provide their own security throughout their country,'' he said.
