PROVO — Brigham Young University announced Monday that Pakistan's ambassador to the United States had canceled his visit to Utah two days after his nation's president suspended democracy over the weekend.

Mahmud Ali Durrani had been scheduled to meet Wednesday with the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then speak at BYU. He also had planned a lecture at the University of Utah on Thursday, when he was to meet with Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert and state business leaders.

Durrani instead remained in Washington to provide diplomacy between the Pakistani government and President Bush, who Monday called for the American ally in the war on terror to restore democracy "as soon as possible." Bush also urged President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to hold elections and give up his post as an army general.

On Saturday, Musharraf suspended Pakistan's constitution, including freedom of speech. He also replaced the chief justice of the Supreme Court before the court could rule on Musharraf's future as president.

BYU associate international vice president Erlend Peterson said the university invited Durrani to Utah several months ago. "Everything was confirmed right up until Friday," Peterson said, "but when I read what happened in Pakistan this weekend I knew he would need to remain in Washington. Those are the requirements for an ambassador when these things happen, especially when the decision doesn't necessarily please the United States."

BYU announced Monday it had replaced Durrani with John Dinkelman, the principal officer of the U.S. Consulate in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Dinkleman's topic will be "An Economic View on Immigration: The Merchandizing of the Desert." He will speak at noon Wednesday in Room 238 of the Herald R. Clark Building, home of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.

Peterson will attempt to bring Durrani to Utah again.

"I'm sure when things settle down we'll get him back with even more to tell us," Peterson said.

BYU anticipated Durrani would be a newsmaker, scheduling a press conference for him. Durrani has criticized the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq, and he complained last month to the Washington Diplomat that major American news outlets were "getting the story all wrong" about Pakistan's struggle against terrorism and Islamic extremism. Musharraf declared a state of emergency because of what he said was the growing strength of Islamic extremists in Islamabad.