Islamabad: Secular parties must be allowed to contest future elections in Pakistan and the United States should put pressure on President Pervez Musharraf to develop a timetable for restoration of democracy in that country.

Stating this categorically at a conference on Major Powers and South Asia, Stephen Cohen, a leading expert on South Asia and senior fellow of the Brookings Institution, said, "Democratisation was one of the three benchmarks set forth by Washington when it announced the 2003 aid package. Though it would be difficult to persuade the present Pakistani government that such steps were in its own interest, the Army should be encouraged to develop an informal timetable for the restoration of democracy."

The goal should be a spectrum of moderate parties, rightist and leftist, willing to operate within the Parliamentary context and tolerate minorities.

He said Pakistan's future depended largely upon its relations with neighbours like India, and therefore, it was necessary for Washington to go beyond lip service and promote a peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad, 'The Daily Times' quoted Cohen as saying.

"The American support for such a process would do much to undercut the Islamic extremists on the Kashmir issue and render the Army less central to Pakistan's future," he said.

"There is no better opportunity than now to restore the civil- military balance in Pakistan to something resembling normalcy."

"The Army fears that a return to complete civilian government means a return to policies counter to its conception of national interest because civilians do not understand what that interest is and Pakistan cannot afford another spell of incompetent democracy," he said.

"Ironically, the chief obstacle to democracy is the Army, which is also the principle barrier to political extremism. The Generals cannot govern Pakistan, but they will not let anyone else govern it," Cohen opined.

There was also a need for the government to be accountable for its toleration of Islamic groups, parties and leaders that have practiced and preached violence within Pakistan, in India and Afghanistan, Cohen said.

ANI