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U.S. Hopes for Power Sharing in Pakistan Fade

Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf swore in a caretaker government Friday to run the country until elections take place in January.

Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, now freed from house arrest, is among those trying to unite and strengthen opposition to Musharraf's rule.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte made a point of speaking to Bhutto by phone at the start of his visit to Pakistan, where he will try to convince Musharraf to end the state of emergency, free political prisoners and resign as army chief of staff.

The U.S. hopes Bhutto and Musharraf will agree to a moderate, pro-Western power-sharing arrangement, but those hopes are fading.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Philip Reeves