New York: US Senate majority leader Harry Reid, after meeting Pakistani politician Imran Khan, has asked President George W. Bush to cut non-developmental aid to Pakistan if the forthcoming elections there are not free and fair.
Reid issued a statement Tuesday after meeting Khan, a cricket legend, who shared his suspicion with the Democrat leader that President Pervez Musharraf could rig the Feb 18 polls.
"If President Musharraf does not allow full and free elections and does not restore freedoms, the US needs to consider reducing non-development aid to Pakistan," his statement read.
Reid had earlier sent Bush a letter asking him to consider cutting off aid to Pakistan unless Musharraf reinstates the previous Supreme Court, restores all freedom and allows a full investigation into the Dec 27 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Khan believes Pakistan cannot have true democracy, or free and fair elections, without reinstating the head of the Supreme Court and the rest of the judges dismissed by Musharraf.
After meeting Khan, Reid said he was even clearer that the US must support the people of Pakistan rather than individuals in the government there who oppose democracy.
Khan, who heads Pakistan's opposition party named Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice), was under house arrest for a while after Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Nov 3.
Currently touring the US, Khan is scheduled to give his perspective on Pakistan at events hosted by the Asia Society - in Washington, DC Thursday and in New York the next day.
During a visit to France Tuesday, Musharraf promised the elections would be "free and fair" and "peaceful".
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