Islamabad, Nov 9 : A diplomatic source has revealed that President General Pervez Musharraf had told the US that he needed 15 days to ‘clean up the mess’ by imposing an emergency in the country.

The News quoted the source as saying that several meetings took place between Pakistani and American diplomats ahead of the declaration of emergency.

“Just give me 15 days. I need to clean up the mess (of judiciary) through some extra-constitutional steps,” the source quoted Musharraf, as telling US officials.

However, the source added that American officials kept pressing Musharraf not to impose emergency, but their advice went in vain.

Senior American officials posted in Pakistan’s provincial capitals had started assembling in Islamabad a week prior to the imposition of emergency, and held meetings with top Pakistani officials on the issue, the source said.

When asked if the US gave Musharraf a no objection certificate (NOC) for imposing emergency after he promised 15-day time to end it, the source denied the impression, saying Washington could just press him, but not force him to honour their wishes.

Meanwhile, the US embassy has neither denied nor confirmed Musharraf’s commitment of 15 days.

“We are not going to reveal his conversation,” press attache Elizabeth Colton was quoted as saying. She said it was up to Musharraf to comment what was said or not and that “we could only comment upon what we had asked.”

“You will have to ask him (Musharraf) for his words,” she said, adding that as far as the US viewpoint on the issue of emergency was concerned, it was against any extra-constitutional step and had opposed any such move.

“Even after the imposition of emergency, we are pressing for the release of human rights activists, lawyers and other people. We are also demanding the lifting of sanctions on media,” she said.

Colton, however, confirmed that the senior US diplomats posted in Lahore and Karachi also arrived in Islamabad days before the imposition of emergency, and they held a string of meetings with Pakistani officials in a bid to persuade them against the emergency. (ANI)