White House and State Dept comment on clashes in Pakistan

(9 Nov 2007) POOL Crawford, Texas 1. US National Security Council Spokesman, Gordon Johndroe walks into briefing room, zoom in 2. Cutaway of Johndroe at podium 3. Cutaway of press 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gordon Johndroe, Spokesman, US National Security Council: "All parties in Pakistan agree that free and fair elections are the best way out of the current situation there. Free and fair elections require the lifting of the state of emergency. We therefore continue to call for an early end to that state of emergency and the release of political party members and peaceful protesters who have been detained." 5. Cutaway of press 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gordon Johndroe, Spokesman, US National Security Council: "Government officials have been in touch with Pakistani government authorities. They know exactly where we stand. The review of aid remains ongoing. But the ultimate goal is not to punish the people of Pakistan, it's to help them get back on the path to democracy and that is by having free and fair elections and lifting the state of emergency, and I think we are headed in that direction." STATE DEPARTMENT TV Washington, DC 7. US State Department Spokesman, Sean McCormack walks into State Department briefing room 8. Cutaway of reporter 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sean McCormack, US State Department Spokesman: "Individual political leaders, political parties, are going to have to make their own decisions about how they manifest their peaceful expression of their views, whether that's speaking out through the media or otherwise. But it is important that they be able to do so. We have expressed that clearly to the Pakistani government. We have also called upon all the responsible members of the Pakistani political class, those forces who want to take Pakistan in a political direction, to maintain an atmosphere of calm. You can express your views in a peaceful manner without resort to violence or without resort to provoking violence. That is important. Pakistan is at an important moment in their history. And we believe, and others believe, that it is important that those forces that have a positive vision for Pakistan work together to get Pakistan back on the road to democracy." 10. Wide shot of press STORYLINE: As word came that Pakistan had freed former premier Benazir Bhutto from house arrest late on Friday, Bush administration officials called on President Pervez Musharraf to end the state of emergency there. Speaking from Texas, where President Bush is spending the weekend, Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said that "all parties in Pakistan agree that free and fair elections are the best way out of the current situation there". In Washington, the US State Department noted that some Pakistani officials had promised Bhutto's house arrest would be temporary and reiterated that Washington opposed Musharraf's actions. Musharraf on Thursday yielded somewhat to international pressure, and said Pakistan would hold parliamentary elections by mid-February - a month later than originally planned. But he has still shown no sign of relinquishing his military post as chief of the army - another key demand of opposition leaders and the Bush administration. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has concluded it is not legally required to cut or suspend hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Pakistan despite Musharraf's imposition of the state of emergency and crackdown on the opposition and independent media. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...