General gets a pat from President Bush

President George W. Bush on Thursday praised General Pervez Musharraf as a stalwart ally in his war on terrorism, a day after the Pakistani ...

President George W. Bush on Thursday praised General Pervez Musharraf as a stalwart ally in his war on terrorism, a day after the Pakistani leader made constitutional changes that critics say threaten the South Asian nation’s return to democratic rule.

Bush, travelling in Oregon, said it was important to promote democracy in Pakistan.But the President made clear the US was standing by Musharraf and counting on his support in its campaign against remnants of the Al Qaeda network.

‘‘The President is still tight with us in the war against terror, and that’s what I appreciate,’’ Bush told reporters. ‘‘He understands that we ought to keep Al Qaeda on the run.’’

Earlier, the State Department said Musharraf’s changes in the Constitution, announced on Wednesday, could be a setback for democratisation in Pakistan. Pakistani critics, including powerful Islamist factions, roundly condemned the move.

‘‘We are concerned that his recent decisions could make it more difficult to build strong democratic institutions in Pakistan,’’ said State Department spokesman Philip Reeker. ‘‘It is of vital importance that full democratic civilian rule be restored in Pakistan. We believe that Musharraf wants to develop strong democratic institutions in his country,’’ Reeker said.

Analysts said the double-barrel messages to Pakistan reflected a long standing tension in US foreign policy between rhetorical support for democracy worldwide and the practical need for strong, reliable allies. That tension has come to the fore once again since the Sept 11 attacks , which saw the US turn to a number of once-shunned governments for military, logistic and intelligence support.

Pakistani Opposition parties, Islamic groups and legal bodies rejected Musharraf’s measures, fearing they will help him wield overall power after polls planned for Oct ober 10. Appearing in uniform, Musharraf announced he would remain President and Army Chief for the next five years anda would have the right to name the heads of the three military services.

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He also secured the power to dismiss parliament and provided for the creation of a civilian-military National Security Council he will chair to oversee government.

The moves should help Musharraf, once an international pariah but a darling of the West since Sept 11, wield overall power even after the parliamentary elections.

The controversial amendments could lead to a power struggle between Musharraf and the new parliament formed after polls, if the Opposition can make a strong showing in the vote.

‘‘We’ll continue to monitor events in Pakistan, be in touch with the government of Pakistan,’’ said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. (Reuters)