WASHINGTON, Nov 13: The White House indicated on Tuesday that the United States is helping evolve a new political formula that could enable President Pervez Musharraf and Pakistan’s main political parties to work together.

The indication, given at a White House news briefing, follows reports from Islamabad that the government has contacted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to explore the possibility of arriving at a working arrangement with him.The move came after a categorical statement from PPP leader Benazir Bhutto that she is no longer willing to work with Gen Musharraf, asking him to step down to save the country from further chaos.

At the White House, Press Secretary Dana Perino acknowledged that the US was aware its continued support for Gen Musharraf made Washington vulnerable to the charge that its interest in democracy and human rights was only situational.

“And that’s why we are having to urge strongly President Musharraf to get back on the path to the Constitution. And the other political parties in Pakistan should all be working towards that goal together,” she said.

“It is not a tidy situation and something that we are continuing to monitor very closely, to be engaged in.”

Ms Perino also indicated that US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte might try to remove differences between Gen Musharraf and moderate political forces when he arrived in Islamabad later this week.

“I wouldn’t call it a personal issue with President Musharraf,” said Ms Perino while explaining why the US wants moderate elements in Pakistan to work together.

“We want everyone to be working together and communicating, and in fact, Deputy Secretary Negroponte will be travelling to Pakistan later in the week,” she added.

“We are hopeful that moderate elements can join together to have increased dialogue as they work through this political situation.

“The situation is evolving almost by the hour. So we’ll have to encourage continued dialogue between all of the parties there,” said Ms Perino when asked if Ms Bhutto’s call on Tuesday for Gen Musharraf to step down eliminated any possibility of a power-sharing agreement between the two.

The White House spokeswoman had earlier said that US President George Bush wanted emergency rule lifted in Pakistan ahead of parliamentary elections.