Pakistan Urged To End State Of Emergency

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's pledge on Sunday to hold elections by mid-January is a positive sign, but she's expressing concern

Sunday, November 11th 2007, 2:28 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's pledge on Sunday to hold elections by mid-January is a positive sign, but she's expressing concern that Musharraf has not set a time limit on emergency rule.

Rice says "it's not a perfect situation." She said the U.S. role in Pakistan's political crisis should be to persuade Musharraf's government to "get back on the
democratic road." Asked whether it was time for Musharraf to step down, she said the focus should be on free and fair elections.

Musharraf has said he would give up his army post, as the U.S. has urged, but only after his October presidential election victory had been endorsed.