New Delhi: The United States and Britain reacted sharply to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule in the country and described the move as a sharp step backward for democracy.
Reacting to the development, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described Musharraf's action as 'highly regrettable' but urged restraint on all sides and a swift return to democracy.
Talking to CNN from Turkey's capital, Rice said the United States "does not support extra-constitutional measures." Rice is in Turkey to participate in a conference with Iraq's neighbours.
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In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Gen Musharraf had promised to hold elections in January and the United States urged him to do so.
In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said his country was gravely concerned by the development and urged him to hold elections on schedule.
"We recognise the threat to peace and security faced by the country, but its future rests on harnessing the power of democracy and the rule of law to achieve the goals of stability, development and countering terrorism," Miliband said in a statement.
"I am gravely concerned by the measures adopted today which will take Pakistan further from these goals. It is vital that the governance acts in accordance with the constitution and abides by the commitment to hold free and fair elections on schedule," he said.
(With agency inputs)
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