Activists of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Pakistan’s ruling party, shout slogans as they hold a banner during a demonstration in Multan on July 31, 2004, while protesting against a suicide attack on then Prime Minister designate Shaukat Aziz. The U.S has been continuously urging Pakistan to democratize. (File photo: AFP)

Saying Pakistan should hold free and fair elections by 2007, the U.S. has noted in a report that the military continued to be politically involved in that country through last year.

In a new report released on March 28 entitled ‘Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2004-2005,’ the State Department said South Asia had registered “notable successes” despite human rights and development challenges that threaten stability and democracy in the region.

This new report is separate from the annual Human Rights Report and is meant to measure President George W. Bush’s stated foreign policy objective of furthering democracy worldwide.

As for Pakistan last year, it noted that constitution amendments passed by the Musharraf government have strengthened the powers of

the president at the expense of the National Assembly.

In a press briefing, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli indicated that 2007 was a deadline for democratic elections in Pakistan and that Washington would help in any way possible to make this happen.

“President (Pervez) Musharraf has made important — and Pakistan — have made important strides in democratic reforms since 2001. This is a process. It is moving in the right direction. 2007 is an important date and one that we think everybody is looking forward to,” Ereli said, adding that Washington felt this event “should happen, should take place.”

The report said: “The military remains heavily engaged in politics, and President Musharraf’s decision to continue as chief of army staff has spurred political debate.” It added that former secretary of state Colin Powell and the U.S. ambassador had continued to urge Islamabad to democratize.

The report called the Pakistani courts “corrupt, inefficient and malleable to political pressure” and pointed to politically motivated prosecutions of opposition figures.The report also pointed out that leaders of three major parties remained outside the country and the leader of one opposition party in Parliament remained in prison appealing against a conviction for sedition.

But it said that while domestic and international observers criticized the 2002 elections for being seriously flawed, the resulting bodies are beginning to engage in national political debate and are working to develop mechanisms to check the power of the executive.

“The U.S. believes that the success of Pakistan’s democratization efforts is critical to the strength of our long-term relationship and will positively contribute to its effective participation in the global war on terrorism,” claims the State Department.

“Senior U.S. officials such as former secretary of state Powell underscored with the Pakistani leadership the need to press forward on democratization and to prepare the groundwork for free and fair parliamentary elections not later than 2007.”

It also paints a picture of U.S. officials chastising Pakistan’s government about the lack of democratic norms, but does not outline any sanctions to make this come about, rather pointing to soft measures to help civil society and institution building in that country as the course to democratization in the country ruled by a general who took over power through a military coup.