ISLAMABAD, Oct 3: US Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker on Tuesday said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf was expected to hold fair and free elections in 2007 so that Pakistan could be put on the path of ‘full democracy’.
“We have talked about this issue in Washington and he (Musharraf) assured (us that he will) hold free and fair election next year,” the ambassador said at a news conference.
“What concerns us is a free and fair election and President Musharraf has given a clear commitment about it.”
Asked about any ‘hard outcome’ of Gen Musharraf’s visit to the United States, Mr Crocker said the agreement signed regarding the delivery of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan showed the US fulfilled its promises.
He said it was decided during President Musharraf’s visit to accelerate talks for signing the bilateral investment treaty. However, he added, it was a complex issue and could take some time to finalise.
Pakistan’s minister for education, he said, would visit America in the current month to expand cooperation in various educational fields between the two countries.
Referring to the last year’s earthquake, he said the US government was spending $510 million on reconstruction activities in parts of Azad Kashmir.
