NEW YORK, March 15: A leading US newspaper on Saturday asked Washington to support, Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif “as they try to set their country on a new course”.

“They do not have a lot of time to get it right. Every suicide bombing is a reminder of the extremists’ strength and how determined they are to see democracy fail”, said the New York Times in a editorial, “Leaving Musharraf Behind”.

The Times said: “Assuming the agreement (between Zardari and Sharif) holds, “the new Parliament, would reinstate the Supreme Court judges whom President Pervez Musharraf fired last year in a desperate bid to hold on to power.”

“Once reinstated, the Supreme Court is likely to do exactly what Mr Musharraf feared: invalidate his re-election. Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif also agreed to pass legislation stripping the former army chief of the power to dissolve parliament and appoint military leaders,” the newspaper observed.

But the newspaper said: “It must not stop Washington from supporting Mr Zardari, Mr Sharif and other secular moderate leaders who say they want real constitutional democracy and the rule of law. President Bush can prove his commitment to democracy — and real stability — in Pakistan by vastly increasing non-military aid for projects that would strengthen Pakistan’s battered institutions and improve the daily lives of Pakistanis.”

The New York Times warned that “extremists will capitalise on any sign of weakness, and Mr Musharraf and his rivals must make the political transition as free of conflict as possible.”

“As a surge in suicide bombings at tests, this is a dangerous time for Pakistan, which has both nuclear arms and a far too cozy relationship with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. If Mr Musharraf is ousted as a result of Pakistan’s democratic processes, that is Pakistan’s decision. The United States should not interfere,” the newspaper said.