Noting that Pakistan is in a "major crisis" following imposition of Emergency, senior United States senators have called for international pressure on President Pervez Musharraf and said that he should not be allowed a "free pass" this time.
"The US should take the lead, with other world powers, in putting maximum pressure on Musharraf to return to democracy. I think it's not enough that Secretary Rice speaks out. The president has to speak out, and in more specific terms. We have bolstered Musharraf with billions of dollars in recent years, and military support, and we ought to be specific that it's not going to continue," Republican Senator Arlen Specter said.
"I'm not about to suggest military intervention. But I'm not in favour of giving him a free pass, either. I don't think we can continue to support a Musharraf government which ousts the Supreme Court and which seizes dictatorial control and leads them in a path which is even more destructive and more against the US and world interests," he argued.
Senator Diane Feinstein, senior Democrat sitting on the Intelligence Panel, also argued in the same lines.
"There's no question that this is a major crisis. And the fear is that the country disassembles, and therefore, its military power, namely its nuclear power, becomes a huge, huge risk," she added.
"I think you could put a moratorium on military aid at this time. He (Musharraf) ought to call for resumption of the Supreme Court. He ought to call for the elections next year," Senator Feinstein said.
"I wouldn't support Pakistan with US aid here. He's doing everything which is against democracy. Seizing the Supreme Court is just outlandish. What he's done is declared himself the dictator. And he hasn't been helping us enough on terrorism, so that I think we ought to get very tough with him and try to drive him into line," Specter said.
"He's been a reliable ally since 9/11. And to go ahead and suspend military assistance or economic assistance to Pakistan right now could lead to a whole worse scenario unfolding. It's hard to find a worse scenario than there is now. And more recently, he hasn't been cooperating with us in those provinces. He's been too weak to do it," the Republican Senator added.
