"The Pakistani military's coup is a complete mockery of the rule of law," Democrat Sherrod Brown, a founding member of the House India caucus, said on Tuesday demanding immediate examination of the provisions for waiver of Pressler Amendment that would reopen US arms supply to Pakistan.

Chairman of the House International Relations Committee Benjamin Gilman said the events clearly indicated Pakistan was not in a position to resume a "full and complete" military relationship with the US.

"I am concerned that these actions by Pakistan's military, in addition to the recent Pakistan-backed militant incursion into India, will lead to further instability in South Asia".

"The news regarding Pakistan only reinforces my view that the Congress should not provide authority to the President which allows for the resumption ofmilitary assistance to Pakistan. The fiscal 2000 Defence Appropriations Conference report should be modified to delete this language before the House considers the measure," Gilman said.

"While hundreds of millions of people in India have just completed their national democratic elections, the people of Pakistan had their government stripped away without casting a single vote," said Brown, a senior member of the House International Relations Committee.

Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone, former co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus for India and Indian Americans, said in a statement the military coup offered compelling proof why it would be unwise for the Congress to permit a waiver of the Pressler Amendment.

Another Democrat, Congressman Robert Menendez, joined Pallone and others in expressing concern over the coup.

"The people of Pakistan, especially children and the elderly, are oppressed in the same terrible way that people are in North Korea or Iraq," Brown said.

Stating that unfortunately,the US policy toward Pakistan had long been to maintain strong ties with its military to guard US interests in South Asia.