US rules out interference in 'internal politics'

Karachi: A senior US envoy promised Washington would not interfere in Pakistan's politics to save longtime ally President Pervez Musharraf, but he was cautious on the new government's hopes to talk peace with pro-Taliban forces.

Deputy US Secretary of State John Negroponte offered little defence for Musharraf, whose help in combatting Islamist extremists was deemed crucial by Washington after the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

Any debate "with regard to the issue of his status is something that will have to be addressed by the internal Pakistani political process", Negroponte said on Thursday, alluding to calls for Musharraf to resign and an impeachment threat from an incoming government bent on slashing presidential powers.

"We will certainly respect whatever is decided in that regard," he told reporters in Karachi.

Marked shift

It was a clear indication Washington has shifted from its singular reliance on Musharraf in ties with Islamabad, where voters repudiated the president's allies and handed his opponents a resounding victory in parliamentary elections last month.

Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher met this week with Musharraf's foes, who are setting up a governing coalition after winning the most seats in the February 18 vote.

Partners in the new government have suggested dialogue with pro-Taliban groups that are blamed for the country's escalating violence - an approach that has drawn criticism from Washington, which has provided about $10 billion (Dh36.7 billion) in aid to Pakistan since 2001.

Negroponte said he did not see how it would be possible to hold discussions with some "irreconcilable elements who want to destroy our way of life".

While the government is unlikely to broach talks with foreign militants linked to Al Qaida, it could be willing to negotiate with pro-Taliban fighters. The incoming regional administration in the North West Frontier Province has signalled a willingness to negotiate with Mullah Fazlullah, leader of a militant uprising last year in the Swat Valley.