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White House rebukes Pakistan
07/11/2007 23:16 - (SA)
Washington - The White House on Wednesday warned Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that US patience is not "never-ending," and that it expects him to return "soon" to the path of democracy.
"This is not a never-ending process", said US national security council spokesperson Gordon Johndroe.
"They need to release the people that they've arrested; they need to stop beating people in the streets; they need to restore press freedom and they need to get back on the path to democracy soon - now."
Johndroe told reporters that Washington expected Musharraf to make clear "in the next several days" that he was lifting a state of emergency and returning to constitutional order, but refused to set any sort of deadline.
"As we've said, we're waiting to hear from Pakistan...we're waiting to hear from President Musharraf. We're expecting some clarifications about the way ahead. I don't want to put a specific timeframe on it, but soon," he said.
At the same time, Johndroe brushed aside calls for US President George W Bush to speak directly to Musharraf, saying "President Musharraf knows exactly where President Bush stands, no doubt about that."
The US wants to help Pakistan
Bush has relied on US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the US ambassador in Islamabad, Anne Patterson, to take the diplomatic lead - but the White House denies that this is because he does not want to be seen as being rebuffed by Musharraf.
Johndroe confirmed that US government officials have been in touch with former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto "and other leaders" and telling them "similar things: that the US is committed to helping Pakistan get back on the right path."
At the US State Department, spokesperson Sean McCormack declined to say whether Bhutto's calls for mass protests would spark further violence, but said "there should be a right for people to express themselves.
"We've preached the idea to all parties of calm during this particularly turbulent period in Pakistan's political system. I don't think anybody wants to see outbreaks of violence. What we want to see is a peaceful return to constitutional democratic rule," he told reporters.
- AFP
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