US hails Musharraf's decision to shed uniform

Describing as a 'good first step' the shedding of uniform by President Pervez Musharraf, the United States has, however, said it expects Pakistan to end emergency for the conduct of free and fair general elections so that the country can return to a democratic path.

"Let me say first that this is a good first step in President Musharraf carrying out his obligation -- indeed his promise -- to take off his uniform," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after Musharraf quit as the Army Chief and handed over the charge to Gen Ashfaq Kiyani.

"We do continue to expect that Pakistan needs to end the state of emergency because free and fair elections need to take place," she said in an interview on NBC News.

The top Bush administration official maintained that Washington is in dialogue with Islamabad on the elections but the contents of the conversation cannot be disclosed.

"We are talking with the Pakistanis about this. I am not going to talk about the details of those conversations. But it is extremely important that Pakistan get back on a road to democracy, a road that, by the way, President Musharraf himself has helped and aided with a freer press and with civil society," she said.

"But the decision now needs to be taken to end the state of emergency, to allow free and fair elections to take place. That will be the way to true stability for Pakistan," Rice added.

The US Secretary of State repeated the theme of Pakistan having to have free and fair elections in another interview on ABC news.

"This is a good first step. But really for Pakistan, the most stabilising thing will be to have fair and free elections so that Pakistan can stay and return to a democratic path, a path that, by the way, President Musharraf has helped to develop with freer press, with civil society. So, it is time for Pakistan to move in that direction," Rice said.