Musharraf yet to make US 'feel comfortable'

United States Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will head to Pakistan this week to press for lifting of emergency in the country, with the Bush administration making it plain that President Pervez Musharraf's actions will have 'consequences' in ties between the two allies.

"He (Negroponte) will be making the same kinds of point to the Pakistani officials he meets with that you have heard from the President, from the secretary and others," State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.

"We want to see an end to the state of emergency, we want to see elections move forward as quickly as possible, we want to see those elections take place in an atmosphere that allows for free, fair and open competition," he said.

Negroponte, who is currently on a West African tour, will hold talks later this week with 'a number of senior Pakistani officials,' Casey said, without revealing whether the diplomat will personally meet Musharraf.

Negroponte's visit will, however, not be concentrated on the political situation alone. He will also hold discussions on a variety of bilateral issues, including on counter-terrorism cooperation, economic reform and development issues, Casey said.

The deputy spokesman said Musharraf had received a 'very clear message' from President George W Bush that there is a 'change in how we view the government of Pakistan' since the imposition of emergency.

'It was a step backward for Pakistan's democratic transition and democratic process. And that is one that ultimately would carry consequences, will carry consequences, and does carry consequences for our relationship,' Casey asserted.

On former premier Benazir Bhutto's statement that she will not serve with Musharraf in government, the deputy spokesman said it was for the Pakistanis to decide what kind of political formation they want and the US will not be involved in the issue.

"These are the kinds of things that are going to have to be settled by Pakistanis and by Pakistani political leaders," Casey said, adding the US was against Bhutto being kept under house arrest.

"Clearly we want to see her be able to move freely and conduct her activities as she sees fit," he said.

Casey said Musharraf has taken some 'positive steps' towards steering Pakistan back into normalcy, but not enough for the US to 'feel comfortable.'

"You have, of course, also seen at least some small movements back toward the direction that we want… We have seen a repeated commitment from President Musharraf that he will, in fact, take off his military uniform. We have seen a commitment to holding elections, first stated for February, now back to January. All of that is positive," he said.

"I think there has at least been some change in the initial positions taken by President Musharraf, though, obviously not enough for us to feel comfortable that Pakistan has, in fact, returned to this democratic path that we want to see it move toward," the deputy spokesman said.