The Bush administration, struggling to find a way to keep Gen Pervez Musharraf in power amid a deepening political crisis in Pakistan, is quietly prodding him to share authority with a longtime rival as a way of broadening his base, according to American and Pakistani officials.

Gen Musharraf, an important ally since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, has lost so much domestic support in recent months that American officials have gotten behind the idea that an alliance with Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister, would be his best chance of remaining president.

The two met in an unannounced session in Abu Dhabi on July 27, but neither has publicly admitted to the meeting. Since then, many in Pakistan have heard the rumours and voiced their doubts about the workability and political wisdom of such a deal, and American officials concede that the proposed power-sharing could come with problems as well as benefits.  But after weeks of unrest in Pakistan, the American officials say a power-sharing agreement that might install Ms Bhutto as prime minister could help defuse a confrontation in which Gen Musharraf has already flirted with invoking emergency powers.

Administration officials have said they fear that Gen Musharraf could eventually be toppled and replaced by a leader who might be less reliable as a guardian of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and as an ally against terrorism.

Democracy
Even if Gen Musharraf were to insist on remaining as the country’s military leader, American officials say that sharing power could bring a more democratic spirit to Pakistan, which has been a quasi-military dictatorship since 1999, when Gen Musharraf seized power and ousted Ms. Bhutto’s successor, Nawaz Sharif.

Ms Bhutto has been holding talks in recent weeks with senior Bush administration officials, including Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, with whom she met privately late last week. Administration officials have taken pains not to endorse a power-sharing agreement publicly, so as not to seem as if the United States is trying to influence Pakistani politics.

But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did discuss the idea of a power-sharing arrangement when she called Gen Musharraf last week in Pakistan to warn him not to declare emergency powers, American and Pakistani officials said.

In an interview with The New York Times on Monday, Ms Bhutto said that she was aware that an alliance with the now-weakened Gen Musharraf could hurt her politically.

“We want to avoid a situation where we are seen as bailing out an unpopular military dictatorship,” said Ms Bhutto, who has been living in London and Dubai. She said the pace of the talks between Gen Musharraf and her Pakistan People’s Party was too slow, with him making promises that he has not kept.

BENAZIR WARNS GENERAL
Bhutto warns Musharraf of a movement against military regime New York, pti: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has warned Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that if he fails to restore democracy and civilian rule in the country she would return and lead a democratic movement against him. “Time is running out for him”, she said pointing at non-fulfilment of promises made to her Pakistan People Party by the General as the confidence-building measures at the Council of Foreign Relations on Wednesday. The measures include steps to ensure free and fair elections in which she and Nawaz Sharif can participate, lifting the ban on a person becoming prime minister for the third time and General Musharraf shedding his uniform.