Western nations reconsider Pakistan aid

The Dutch government froze millions of dollars in environmental and educational assistance for Pakistan on Monday, as Western countries reviewed their aid to the nation in response to President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose emergency rule.

Pakistan's most important ally, the United States, criticized Musharraf and said aid would be reviewed, but indicated that it was unlikely that money for the war on terrorism would be at risk.

"It's a hypothetical," President Bush said Monday, while calling on Musharraf to hold elections and relinquish his army post as soon as possible. "I certainly hope he does take my advice."

Bush, in his first public comments on the crisis after a meeting at the White House with Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, would not discuss what the U.S. might do — including any cuts in aid to Pakistan — if Musharraf ignores his request.

But the president praised Pakistan's cooperation in the war on terror and said "all we can do is continue to work with the president" trying to influence his behavior.

Pakistan's leading trading partner, the 27-nation European Union, was mulling possible cuts in aid. Last year, the bloc imported $4.78 billion of Pakistani goods.

Britain and Germany, too, were looking at their hundreds of millions in aid for Pakistan. Britain said it had no current plans to change the $493 million it has budgeted in aid to Pakistan over three years.

The Netherlands does not give direct aid to the Pakistani government. But it decided to suspend the remainder of the $22 million it planned to give Pakistan this year for water, environmental and educational programs, in hopes of pressuring Musharraf to restore democratic and constitutional guarantees and confirm intentions to hold parliamentary elections in January. Most of the funds already have been transferred.

The government also intends to freeze $58 million it planned to give Pakistan next year, mostly for educational and environmental purposes. That would not affect $7.2 million earmarked for local human rights and democracy-building efforts.

"We hope other countries follow suit," deputy foreign minister Bert Koenders told parliament. "The only option now for Pakistan is to hold free and fair elections and release political prisoners."

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested the Bush administration does not want to disrupt its partnership with Pakistan in fighting al-Qaida and other militants that dates to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

"We are reviewing all of our assistance programs, although we are mindful not to do anything that would undermine ongoing counterterrorism efforts," Gates said.

Christiane Hohmann, a spokeswoman for the European Commission in Brussels, said decisions on possible sanctions would be taken by individual EU governments.

She said the commission was reconsidering its own $72 million aid program for Pakistan, but pointed out that that money goes to promote human rights, education and independent nongovernmental organizations rather than Musharraf's administration.

Britain's foreign secretary urged Pakistan's military government Monday to restore democratic and constitutional processes, and to confirm its intentions to go ahead with parliamentary elections in January.

"The whole world will be watching to see how the transition to democracy that is so important for our own security, never mind for the security and stability of Pakistan itself, is re-established," Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

German Development Ministry spokesman Markus Weidling said his country would reconsider funding for some projects in areas such as energy development, but others aimed at "the advancement of civil society, particularly women and children, will be supported in future as well, without limitation."

Musharraf's government suspended the constitution Saturday and has since arrested more than 1,500 people, including opposition leaders, lawyers and human rights activists. The government has said parliamentary elections could be delayed up to a year. The state of emergency came before an expected Supreme Court ruling on whether Musharraf's recent re-election as president was legal.

The U.N.'s top rights official, Louise Arbour, urged Pakistan not to detain individuals "for the peaceful exercise of their political beliefs," her spokesman Jose Diaz said.

Among those detained was Asma Jahangir, a U.N.-appointed expert on religious freedom and chairman of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

The Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists said Jahangir was put under house arrest for 90-days to prevent her making "inflammatory speeches."

The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Musharraf "to back away from his policies of intimidation and assault immediately," said Bob Dietz, the group's Asia chief.

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Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.