US envoy urges Pakistan's Musahrraf to end emergency

ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (Reuters) US envoy John Negroponte said today he had urged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to end emergency rule, warning it was ''not compatible'' with free and fair elections due by early January.

The US deputy secretary of state met Musharraf yesterday, the first high-level meeting of a US official with Washington's crucial ally since he imposed emergency rule on November 3.

''Emergency rule is not compatible with free, fair and credible elections,'' Negroponte told a news conference.

REUTERS DKS BST0813