U.S. envoy tells Musharraf to end emergency

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said Sunday that he had expressed to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf the United States' displeasure with Pakistan's emergency rule and urged Musharraf to lift the order and release all political detainees ahead of elections.

"Emergency rule is not compatible with free, fair and credible elections, which require the active participation of political parties, civil society and the media," Negroponte told reporters Sunday after his two-hour meeting with Musharraf on Saturday.

Negroponte said he told Musharraf, "If those steps are not taken, it will certainly undermine elections."

Musharraf did reiterate "in categorical terms" his commitment to hold elections in January, Negroponte said, and to shedding his military uniform before commencing his next presidential term, although the president did not specify when that would occur.

Last week, Musharraf announced that a parliamentary vote would take place before January 9, adding that it could take place with the state of emergency still in effect.

In fact, he said, the emergency order "will ensure absolutely fair and transparent elections."

The week prior, he had said the vote would take place by February 15. The exact date for the elections will be set by Pakistan's Election Commission.

On Friday, Musharraf swore in his new Cabinet Friday, setting in place the caretaker government that will oversee Pakistan's parliamentary process until the elections can be held.

U.S. officials said Musharraf told Negroponte Saturday that he would only commit to lift the state of emergency -- which he imposed on Nov. 3 -- when security became better, but he did not give the United States a date.

Negroponte said he also encouraged Musharraf to reconciliate with various moderate political opponents. "Engagement and dialogue, not brinkmanship and confrontation, should be the order of the day," Negroponte said. "The United States believes that the best way for any country to counter violent extremism is to develop and nurture a moderate political center."

Nearly all leaders of Pakistani opposition parties have been jailed or placed under house arrest, and charged under anti-terrorism measures. Pakistan People's Party leader Benazir Bhutto has been placed under house arrest twice. She was most recently released Friday morning.

Bhutto and other opposition leaders have accused Musharraf of imposing the emergency order so he could remain in power by avoiding an expected ruling from the Supreme Court that would have nullified his October election victory.

Earlier this month, Musharraf replaced a number of the justices on that Supreme Court with his allies. He sacked nearly all of them in the name of the emergency order imposed, he said, to tackle Islamic militancy and to save Pakistan from governmental paralysis caused by a meddling judiciary.

Despite his admonitions, Negroponte said the United States "values" its partnership with the government of Pakistan under Musharraf's leadership, saying he "has and continues to be a strong voice against extremism."

Pakistan is a key ally in the war on terror, and U.S. State Department officials have said that despite his faults and this crisis, the officials said the Bush administration has calculated he is still the best option as the country's leader.

However, State Department officials said Saturday that Negroponte warned Musharraf that the United States' patience was not limitless. The U.S. envoy was very strong in his threat about withdrawing aid, the officials said.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said earlier this month that the United States reimburses Pakistan $80 million a month for expenses in the war on terror, and separately gives the country $335 million annually in financing for military purchases, for narcotics control and for anti-terrorism funding.

The State Department officials also said Negroponte told the Pakistani leader that the Bush administration would not be able to stop a ground swell in Congress against Musharraf's leadership.

In addition to meeting with Musharraf, Negroponte met with several top Pakistani officials during his trip, including National Security Army Vice Chair Ashfaq Kiani, who is expected to take Musharraf's place as head of the military, which holds a lot of influence over Musharraf. He also spoke to Bhutto by phone, he said.

Late Friday, on orders from Musharraf, top Pakistani networks Geo TV and ARY Digital were taken off the air by authorities in Dubai, where their transmissions originated.

Geo broadcasters, who said only their news programming was affected, told CNN Saturday they were "in shock" from the action. On its Web site, several anchors and analysts "condemned this fresh government attack on the media."

GEO TV and ARY Digital already had been taken out of Pakistan's cable line-up; the latest action means their signal is no long available by satellite.

Meanwhile, the government of the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is a member state, issued a written statement Saturday through its Emirates News Agency, in which it appeared to take no side in the matters.

"The UAE has always played a positive and constructive role in international affairs, and neutrality has been a key principle of its foreign policy," said Ibrahim Al-Abed, general director of the news agency and director of the National Media Council.

"In light of the current sensitive state of affairs in Pakistan, the UAE can only assume its responsibility and maintain its neutrality," he said. E-mail to a friend

All About Pakistan • Pervez Musharraf • Afghanistan