WASHINGTON, March 1: The United States has a long-term interest in Pakistan and wants to continue to work with future rulers of that country, says the US State Department.

“We have a long-term interest and a long-term investment in Pakistan,” the department’s deputy spokesman Tom Casey told a briefing in Washington. “And we want to be able to work fully not only with yesterday’s government and today’s government but with future governments.”

The United States, he said, shares “a lot of common needs, common desires and common values” with the Pakistanis.

The statement – two days after similar remarks by Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte – is yet another indication of Washington’s effort to distance itself from the Musharraf government.

Mr Negroponte, who referred to Mr Musharraf 11 times in his Nov 7 testimony before Congress, did not mention his name even once in his Feb 28 testimony. But during the question and answer session he pointed out that Mr Musharraf was still the president of Pakistan.

Other US officials, such as Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, also have underlined the fact that Mr Musharraf remains the president but acknowledged that under the new arrangement he will be a ceremonial head of state while the new prime minister will have the real powers.

Explaining America’s broader policies towards Pakistan, Mr Casey noted that the Feb 18 elections were a victory for democracy and for all those who wanted to see democracy to expand and develop in Pakistan. “And I think that’s clear to everyone,” he added.

Mr Casey, however, said the US has no say in how Pakistan’s democratically elected leaders organise their government, develop their policies and manage their internal political process.