By SPA
Washington : President George W. Bush telephoned Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf following his party’s loss in parliamentary elections, but the White House said Thursday that the Pakistani people must decide the embattled leader’s political future.
“It’s now time for the newly elected folks to show up and form their government,” Bush said Wednesday during a news conference in Ghana that happened after the telephone call. “The question now is will they be friends of the United States. I hope so.”
Speaking with reporters aboard Bush’s airplane before it landed in Liberia on Thursday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said it is “up to the Pakistani people to decide” whether Musharraf retains his position.
Perino would not discuss details of the Bush-Musharraf conversation, but she said Bush had always supported Musharraf because he “helped Pakistan on its path to democracy” and has been a good partner in the fight against extremism.