WASHINGTON, Nov 26: The United States said on Monday that President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s government has taken “some encouraging steps” towards returning to constitutional rule but must lift the state of emergency.

“Pakistan won’t be back on the right road until it is back on the road of constitutional democratic rule,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters asking about Musharraf’s plan to quit as army chief.

He said that “there have been some encouraging steps as of late,” citing those “in which President Musharraf would take off the uniform before being sworn as president and has scheduled elections.”

Mr McCormack added: “Those are pretty good, those are positive,” but more needed to be done. “We continue to urge and counsel the state of emergency be lifted prior to the election so you could have elections in which the Pakistani people have confidence,” he said.—AFP