Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said parliamentary elections will be held by Feb. 15 and promised to relinquish his post as head of the army, after pressure from President George W. Bush.

``I must remove my uniform and there should be a civilian government,'' Musharraf told state-run Pakistan Television today. ``Elections must be held as soon as possible, by Feb. 15 at the latest.''

The announcement came a day after Bush said he pressed Musharraf, a key U.S. ally, to hold elections and give up the army post. Musharraf, facing the stiffest opposition to his rule since he took power in a 1999 military coup, suspended Pakistan's constitution Nov. 3 as the Supreme Court was nearing a decision on the legality of his re-election last month while still serving as army chief.

The U.S. views it as ``important'' that the date for an election ``was clarified for the Pakistani people,'' White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters traveling with Bush to Texas today. ``We have said from the beginning of this state of emergency that the president was calling on President Musharraf to hold the elections, and also to take off his uniform.''

There was no decision on when emergency rule would end, Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azeem said in a phone interview from Islamabad. The decisions were made in a meeting of the National Security Council, an advisory body on security, he said.

Musharraf's five-year term ends Nov. 15. He won a majority vote for a second term by lawmakers in parliament and provincial assemblies on Oct. 6.

Further Steps

While scheduling the parliamentary election is a positive step, Musharraf still has more work to do to resume political progress, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. That includes lifting the state of emergency and restoring the authority of the country's constitution, McCormack told reporters in Washington today.

``There are still other steps that need to be taken in order for Pakistan to return to the pathway of democratic and constitutional rule,'' McCormack said.

As many as 1,000 lawyers, opposition party leaders and their supporters have been arrested since Musharraf's emergency decree. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was fired Nov. 3, has called on government officers to reject the order.

A group of six United Nations human rights experts today condemned Musharraf's actions, in the strongest statement yet by any representatives of the world body.

`Deeply Alarmed'

``We are deeply alarmed at the imposition of the state of emergency in Pakistan and condemn the suspension of fundamental freedoms,'' Gay McDougall, head of the group of Geneva-based UN human rights advocates, said in a statement. The group also condemned the ``excessive use of force by the police, the brutal repression and the massive arrests that have occurred.''

Munir Akram, Pakistan's ambassador to the UN, who objected to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's much milder expression of concern about the state of emergency, had no comment on McDougall's statement.

The National Assembly endorsed the decree yesterday, the official Associated Press of Pakistan reported. Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party and other opposition lawmakers boycotted the session. Police fired tear gas to disperse legislators protesting yesterday outside Parliament in Islamabad.

Protest March

Bhutto appealed to political parties yesterday to join her in a protest march from the eastern city of Lahore to Islamabad on Nov. 13. She is demanding Musharraf step down as army chief by Nov. 15 and hold the parliamentary ballot as scheduled before Jan. 15.

Bhutto said today that Musharraf's announcement is ``vague,'' her spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a phone interview from Islamabad. ``Musharraf needs to announce a specific date for elections.''

Musharraf imposed emergency rule saying judicial interference in government affairs was hampering the fight against terrorism.

Bush said yesterday he telephoned Musharraf and told him he should hold elections soon and step down as head of the armed forces.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan is a U.S. ally in the fight against al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups operating along the mountainous border with Afghanistan. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told Congress yesterday the country is ``too vital to our interests'' to break off or downgrade relations.

Treason Charged

The government charged three politicians and a union activist with treason for making anti-government speeches in the commercial capital of Karachi, the Associated Press reported. The news agency didn't name the accused people.

The Pakistan Bar Council said lawyers will continue to boycott court proceedings until the constitution is restored and asked members to continue their nationwide protests.

``We refuse to go before the judges who have taken oath under emergency rule,'' Khawaja Mohammed Amir, member of the Association, said on the phone today. ``We will continue to protest and resist despite police action against us.''

Bhutto, a former prime minister, returned to Pakistan last month after eight years in self-imposed exile.

Power-Sharing Negotiations

She had been involved in power-sharing negotiations with Musharraf, 64, who gave her amnesty from corruption charges she faced and agreed to give up control of the military by Nov. 15. In return, Bhutto didn't object to him being re-elected president by the current parliament.

Bhutto, 54, said her talks with Musharraf reached a ``deadlock'' when the general imposed emergency rule and she has no meetings scheduled with him.

``We were engaged in a political dialogue for peaceful transition to democracy,'' Bhutto said yesterday. ``Now we find ourselves back in a dictatorship.''

Bhutto, who was prime minister twice between 1988 and 1996, demanded the government lift a ban on people holding the office three times.

She is scheduled to address a rally in Rawalpindi near Islamabad tomorrow, ignoring a ban on public gatherings issued by Musharraf.

To contact the reporters on this story: Jay Shankar in Bangalore on jshankar1@bloomberg.net; Khalid Qayum in Islamabad, Pakistan at kqayum@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 8, 2007 13:43 EST