US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte on Sunday urged President General Pervez Musharraf to end the state of emergency before holding 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,” he said.Speaking at a press conference at the US Embassy, he termed the recent police action against protesters, the suppression of media and the arrests of political and human rights leaders as “unfortunate”. He said that such measures ran directly contrary to the reforms undertaken by the government in recent years. He said the sacking of the Supreme Court’s justices also ran counter to the progress made by the country.
Political reconciliation: The US official encouraged reconciliation between Pakistan’s moderate political forces as the most constructive way forward for the country. “In the current circumstances, engagement and dialogue — not brinkmanship and confrontation — should be the order of the day for all parties,” he said. He also urged the political parties to unite to counter extremism. “The best way for any country to counter violent extremism is to develop and nurture a moderate political centre,” Negroponte added.