WASHINGTON, July 25: The United States urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday to build a sustainable and more functional democracy in Pakistan. The comments by Deputy Secretary of State Nicholas Burns came at a Senate hearing when Senator John Kerry reminded him that the war against terrorism cannot be won without restoring full democracy in Pakistan.

“We do have a real interest in the fate of Pakistani democracy,” said Mr Burns. “We have tried to encourage the Pakistani government to continue on the democratic path and not to let it founder.”

Mr Burns said that as an outsider the US can only play a supportive role in what’s essentially an internal affair of Pakistan.

“Pakistan has a lively set of political parties ... and some very dynamic politicians,” he said.

But he also said that the option of “walking away’ from President Musharraf, who is one of our closest allies, is not an option.

Mr Burns said that while the US would not favour a particular politician, it would like to see that the politicians who are patriotic and committed to the fight against terrorism were free to participate in the forthcoming elections.

The full Senate hearing on “Pakistan’s future and the challenges of building a democracy” also stirred a debate on the latest report by 16 US intelligence agencies saying that Pakistan’s tribal areas have become a safe haven for Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

In his opening remarks, Senator Kerry, the 2004 presidential candidate who now heads several powerful Senate committees, described the intelligence report as “a dire warning” about the threat posed by Al Qaeda in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

He noted that the military action against the militants holed up in the Lal Masjid and the Supreme Court judgment to restore the Chief Justice have weakened Gen Musharraf.

He said when he speaks of friendship with Pakistan that does not mean the Musharraf government. “Pakistan to Americans cannot just mean President Musharraf. It means the Pakistani people, in a manner that serves both our countries’ interests.”

Senator Kerry said that despite America’s preoccupation with Iraq and its interest in Iran, the area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border remains the central focus of the war against terrorism.

He noted that although the agreement Islamabad had signed with tribal elders in Waziristan had failed, President Musharraf is trying to revive the agreement. “Going back to a failed strategy is not the answer,” he warned.

Senator Kerry also noted that the US administration has not ruled out the possibility of using American military against the reported Al Qaeda safe havens in the tribal areas.

The United States, he said, must be prepared to use the military force but Washington should also consider the problems such a move would cause.

Senator Kerry said that President Musharraf’s term is set to expire, requiring him to seek re-election from the national and provincial assemblies.

“The Supreme Court may have to rule whether President Musharraf can stay on as the army chief and whether he can be elected by the lame-duck parliament,” he noted. “With the Chief Justice’s restoration, there’s a strong possibility that the court may rule against Gen Musharraf on these questions. We need to be prepared for these developments.”

Senator Richard Lugar, the top Republican in the Senate, described America’s relations with Pakistan as “most important and very complex.”

He said that while the US should continue its military and economic assistance to Pakistan, it should also continue to press for more democracy.

Senator Lugar also referred to the restoration of the Chief Justice and said that while this “augurs well for judicial independence in Pakistan, it puts President Musharraf in a difficult position.”

The senator noted that the Pakistan army is designed to fight India, not the extremists as the war against terrorism desires a different capability to combat terrorists.

That’s why, he said, the US was rushing aid to train the army.

“We need to have a successful American engagement with Pakistan,” said Mr Burns while responding to these comments. “Pakistan is one of our closest partners globally and the most indispensable ally in the fight against Al Qaeda.”

Pakistan, he said, is located in an area that is of vital interest to the US and its future stability, whether or not it becomes a successful democracy is also important.

Mr Burns noted that the US has had an unusual history with Pakistan, shifting from close relationships to periods of ‘inaction.’

The United Sates, he said, needs to assure the Pakistanis that the US was consistent in its engagement with Pakistan.