Clinton’s visit to Pakistan will not be easy — Albright

NEW DELHI, MARCH 20: The visit of US President Bill Clinton to Pakistan will not be "easy" but is necessary to impress upon the ...

NEW DELHI, MARCH 20: The visit of US President Bill Clinton to Pakistan will not be "easy" but is necessary to impress upon the military government the need for a return to constitutional rule, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has said.

General Pervez Musharraf, who took power in an October coup, would hear first-hand the need for that change, Albright said in an interview with AFP on Sunday as she prepared to join Clinton on his South Asian tour here.

"It’s not an easy part of the visit," Albright said of the brief stop she, the President and others will make on Saturday in Islamabad. "Pakistan basically has a choice in terms of which direction it’s going to go in, whether the government that came in by coup can in fact work on a sustained basis towards having a return to constitutional, civilian government," she said.

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Clinton has come under criticism for deciding to make the trip to Pakistan with some complaining that it sends the wrong signal to an unelected government that has in recent days cracked down on civil rights. But Albright repeated the point the President and others have made since the Islamabad stopover was announced, flatly denying that the visit was an endorsement of Gen Musharraf.

"Our statement there (will be) that we have had and will have a close relationship with the Pakistani people," Albright said. "There will be nothing that happens (that will) indicate that we support the Musharraf government." Washington will be looking to hear Musharraf make the right noises on returning to civilian rule, as well as on US concerns about terrorism, nuclear non-proliferation and the conflict with India over Kashmir, Albright said.

She offered some praise for action taken recently regarding local elections in Pakistan yet at the same time was clear that such moves, while welcome, were not enough. "We think that’s a step in the right direction but there has to be respect for the rule of law, civilian control of the military," Albright said. Asked whether Musharraf needed to remove himself completely from leadership for Washington to be satisfied, Albright demurred, "We haven’t said that. What we’ve said is they need to take a number of steps," she said.

Pressed on the matter, she answered: "It’s very hypothetical, I don’t know, I suppose he could get himself elected. But that is not the issue. The issue is hearing the steps that he directs to bring about a (move) toward a constitutional government."