Washington: The United States said today Pakistan has taken a "step towards the full restoration of democracy" and voiced hope that a new prime minister could work with beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf.

The State Department s deputy spokesman Tom Casey gave his assessment after the backers of Musharraf, a long-serving frontline ally in the US war on terrorism, conceded defeat in Pakistan s parliamentary elections.

"Pakistan has taken a step towards the full restoration of democracy," Casey told reporters. "This is something we have wanted to see happen and talked about for a long time."

Casey said he hoped for cooperation among all of Pakistan s political groups in securing a stable future.

"We certainly would hope that whoever becomes prime minister...would be able to work with him," Casey said, referring to Pakistan s beleaguered president Musharraf.

He hoped all participants in the Pakistani political system would work together to continue the country s "political and democratic development," forge ahead with economic reforms and confront Islamist extremism.

Casey said he expected the preliminary election results to be reflected in the final outcome, saying the election was notable for its relatively peaceful nature and a voter turnout that fit historic norms. And he hoped that the results would be observed.

"Certainly we would want the election results to be respected by all parties," the deputy spokesman said.

Source : PTI