A defiant President Pervez Musharraf has dismissed United States' demand for lifting emergency in Pakistan, saying the decree was to ensure that general elections in January were held in an undisturbed manner.
The 64-year-old military ruler, who has been under pressure from Washington to restore democracy, said he disagreed with the appeal by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to end the emergency imposed on November 3.
Making it clear that a decision about lifting the emergency would be made on his own terms, he said, "I totally disagree with her (Rice)."
"The emergency is to ensure that elections go in an undisturbed manner," said Musharraf.
He said the decree was justified because the apex court had meddled in politics, specifically the validity of his re-election, and because of a serious threat from terrorists.
Musharraf's defiance comes within days of US President George W Bush bluntly telling him during a telephonic conversation to hold general elections as scheduled and also doff his uniform as "he (Musharraf) cannot be the president and the head of the military at the same time".
Rice had appealed to Musharraf to lift the emergency that led to the suspension of the Constitution, dismissal of Supreme Court judges and arrest of thousands of opposition workers, lawyers and human rights activists.
Washington has also made it clear that the US will review its financial aid to Pakistan. "I want to be very clear. We believe that the best path for Pakistan is to quickly return to a constitutional path and then to hold elections," Rice had said.
Musharraf, who came to power in a bloodless military coup in 1999, has refused to set any date for ending the emergency or stepping down as army chief and becoming a civilian president.
He has announced that the elections to the national and provincial assemblies would be held by January 9.