Musharraf decides against Pakistan emergency

ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Embattled President Pervez Musharraf decided yesterday not to impose a state of emergency in Pakistan, ignoring the advice of aides who wanted strong action to prevent more instability in the troubled nation.

The military ruler, facing the greatest challenge to his leadership since he seized power in a 1999 coup, opted against the move, which would have postponed elections, Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani told AFP.

"President Musharraf has decided not to impose the state of emergency in the country as suggested by some political parties and others," Durrani said.

"The decision was taken because the priority of the president and present government is to have free, fair and impartial elections in line with the constitutional requirements."

Musharraf had been locked in consultations with key officials the previous night amid reports that he was ready to declare a state of emergency.

The Pakistani president has been facing public anger over his suspension, since overturned in court, of the country's chief justice -- which critics saw as an attempt to remove any legal obstacles to keeping the dual positions of president and head of the military.

Mass protests over the attempted suspension, mounting criticism of his government's handling of militants along the Afghan border and efforts by rivals to come back from exile to contest the election have put him under fire.

US President George W. Bush delivered a strong reminder to Musharraf yesterday that he expected full cooperation from Pakistan against extremists and that he was "hopeful" the military ruler would hold "a free and fair election."

"I have made it clear to him that I expect that there be full cooperation in sharing intelligence" and "swift action" against extremists inside Pakistan if he gets solid intelligence about their whereabouts, Bush said.

Bush was also careful to express respect for Pakistan's sovereignty, following Islamabad's public anger over calls for unilateral US action to target Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda on Pakistani soil.

The president, in a White House news conference, paid tribute to Musharraf's cooperation with the United States in battling terrorism.

"We spend a lot of time with the leadership in Pakistan talking about what we will do with actionable intelligence," he said.

The Pakistan polls, due by early 2008, will be the first since late 2002.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Musharraf on Wednesday as he mulled whether to impose a state of emergency, Washington said, but a spokesman declined to give details of the conversation.

Musharraf has been angered by accusations from Washington that Pakistan has become a safe haven for Al-Qaeda and a regrouped Taliban, and that its actions against militant bases are inadequate.