Amid increasing international and domestic pressure, Pakistan on Wednesday informed Britain and Germany that is it keen to hold early elections despite the imposition of emergency as that was in the best interest of the country.
Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri conveyed the message to his British and German counterparts, David Miliband and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Commonwealth Secretary General Donald McKinnon when they telephoned him on Wednesday.
"The government's commitment to holding free and fair elections remains unchanged," Kasuri was quoted as saying.
Explaining the situation in Pakistan, he said the government is very keen to hold early elections since it felt that this was in the best interest of the country.
The leaders exchanged views with Kasuri and sought his input on the situation in Pakistan.
President Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose emergency on November 3 has been widely condemned by the world community, which has asked him to give up his military uniform and to hold elections as scheduled by mid-January.
iliband, making a statement in the House of Commons, said, "We call upon the Government of Pakistan to first declare a specific date for January elections, release political prisoners and ease restrictions on the media."
He said the suspension of the Constitution and declaration of a state of emergency were not permanent measures. "The Government of Pakistan says they are temporary. It is vital that they are so," he said.
Miliband acknowledged the violence which led General Musharraf to impose Emergency but said: "Since the weekend we have seen actions from the government that have set back the process of democratic transition."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has spoken to General Musharraf a couple of days ago and asked him to confirm that he would hold the elections as scheduled in January.
