Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has attacked plans by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to change the constitution to give himself more power.

I do not think [making himself president] was a very intelligent thing to do

Don McKinnon

In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, Mr McKinnon said he had "real concerns" about the changes, which he said he had made known to the Pakistani leader.

General Musharraf's amendments would give the president the right to sack the prime minister, dissolve the national assembly and establish a national security council with army members on it.

General Musharraf seized power in a coup in 1999, after which Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth.

Since then, he has moved to sideline traditional politicians and tighten his own hold on power.

Referendum vote

Mr McKinnon said that pressure from the Commonwealth had forced the Pakistani leader to draw up a "road map to democracy."

President Musharraf: Accused of concentrating power

However, he said one thing that was not on that road map was the decision by General Musharraf to appoint himself president, which he did last year.

"I do not think it was a very intelligent thing to do," said Mr McKinnon.

Mr McKinnon also described as undemocratic the April referendum on giving General Musharraf five more years as president.

He won with more than 96% of the vote, although the opposition disputed the conduct of the poll and the turnout figures.

Power concentration

The Commonwealth chief said steps towards democracy in Pakistan had not gone far enough.

"I am concerned about the extraordinary power he wants to give the president, the powers to dismiss and elected prime minister and cabinet, also the weighting of the changes which favour the executive against the legislature."

General elections are to be held in Pakistan in October, in line with a pledge to restore democratic politics.

However, General Musharraf has made it clear he has no time for the established political parties in Pakistan, blaming them for the country's woes.