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Islamabad: US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher had a word of advice for Pakistanis: Focus on the real issues rather than the future of President Pervez Musharraf.
Issues like terrorism, food crisis and energy shortage merited more immediate attention than Musharraf's future, Boucher said at a news conference as he concluded his three-day visit.
The US has continued to back a continued role for Musharraf in the new democratic set-up led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), the president's arch foe.
"He is president of Pakistan and the United States deals with him in that capacity," Boucher said, when asked about Washington's support to the beleaguered president.
During his visit, Boucher held separate meetings with Musharraf, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, military leaders and leading politicians, including PML-N chief and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sharif reportedly told Boucher that Musharraf was the major hindrance to a functioning democracy in the country and the smooth functioning of the coalition government.
Sharif's grouse
The PML-N chief, according to a party spokesman, said that if Pakistan's foreign friends could not facilitate matters they should at least not interference in the internal affairs. He urged the US to stop backing Musharraf.
Boucher met Musharraf in Rawalpindi yesterday and, according to sources, Musharraf told him that he was not in any way obstructing the elected government.
The sources said the president expressed his willingness to sort out problems with Sharif, emphasising that he was against confrontation and wanted reconciliation to be the norm in the country.
At his news conference, Boucher said the US was supportive of the government's efforts to strengthen democracy and the judiciary. He clarified the US "is not involved" in the issue of restoration of dozens of judges who were deposed by Musharraf in November last year.
Boucher said it was up to the coalition government to find way of ensuring the independence of the judiciary.
He said Washington would continue supporting the country's democratic government in the fight against terrorism and in helping it overcome social, economic and security challenges.
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