Washington, Oct 11: US has said it was closely monitoring elections in Pakistan which were an important "milestone" in the country's transition to democracy.

"We welcome the holding of multi-party national and provincial elections in Pakistan. This is an important milestone in Pakistan's ongoing transition to democracy," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "We are going to continue to watch the process very closely," he said.


Welcoming Pakistan President Musharraf's assurance "to the people of Pakistan to hand over executive power to the new Prime Minister by early next month", Fleischer said US was committed "to remaining engaged with Pakistan throughout this transition to democracy".


"In New York, when President Bush met with President Musharraf, he stressed the importance of adhering to democracy in Pakistan. It is important and the United States takes it seriously and will monitor it closely," Fleischer said. Elections were held in Pakistan for parliament and four provincial assemblies -- Punjab, Sindh, North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan -- on Thursday. Bureau Report