WASHINGTON, Dec 15: President Pervez Musharraf has said that he has no desire to lift curbs placed on the media.

He said that while the state of emergency has been lifted, he will not reinstate the judges who were removed from office or repeal the “code of conduct” that he imposed on the news media.

In an interview to Washington Post, to be published on Sunday, the president said: “There are no restrictions on the press.”

When informed that his government had imposed a code of conduct on the media, he said it was “as good as in your country.”

As the interviewer informed him that there was no code of conduct for journalists in the US, the president said: “The code of conduct is there in most countries of the world. Why should we compare the United States to Pakistan?”

“Don’t you think you should lift (the restrictions) when you end the state of emergency?” asked the reporter. “No,” said the president.

The former general acknowledged that he regretted doffing his military title, but said he did so for the national good. “On a personal note, I loved my uniform. From the national point of view, I don’t think there is a difference,” he said. “I think the overall situation will be better and stronger.”

The former general said that leaving the army will not have any impact on his government or the army. “The army is being managed by a chief of staff dedicated to the job, and I will be president of Pakistan, and if the two are totally in harmony, the situation is better,” he said.

Reiterating his desire to bring country back on the path to democracy, Mr Musharraf pledged to ensure that the Jan 9 elections were fair and free but he refused to say whether he would endorse a constitutional amendment to allow former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to serve a third term.

In the interview, Mr Musharraf criticised the judges, the media, both Western and Pakistani, and his opponents, but was full of praise for US President George W. Bush.

“I have nothing against President Bush. I think he has been most supportive; he has been a very sincere friend,” said Mr Musharraf.

“I must say he understands fully the Pakistan environment. He understands why I had to act and what I’m facing. He totally and completely understands.”

The president added: “He understands the emergency. He understands what we were suffering and that an action had to be taken.”

The president also blamed the Western media for many of his recent political problems.

“The problem with the West and your media is your obsession with democracy, civil liberties, human rights,” he said.

“Who has built democratic institutions in Pakistan? I have done it in the last eight years. We empowered the people and the women of Pakistan. We allowed freedom of expression,” said Mr Musharraf.