At an audience in Brussels, President Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan’s election from next month will be fair and free and asked patience from the West.

Starting his four-nation European tour, Musharraf said about the election on February 18 that the one who wins will have the power.

He also said that his administration will not “deny forming a government to whichever party forms a majority.”

At the meeting with journalists and analysts, Musahrraf said: "While we believe in democracy and human rights and civil liberties please allow us time to reach what you have reached. And you have taken centuries to reach it."

Regarding the election he added: "There is no possibility of it being rigged."

He said: "We are for democracy and I have introduced the essence of democracy, but we cannot be as forward looking as you (in the West) are. Allow us some time to reach that state."

After the assassination on December 27 of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, tensions have risen in Pakistan threatening the elections. Musharraf said that possible “bugs” in the system were removed.

He also said that the one responsible for the death of Benazir Bhutto is the Islamist tribal leader Baitullah Mehsud and that he is to blame for other suicide bombings, AFP reports.  

Musharraf acknowledged that 2007 was a “turbulent” year for Pakistan that terrorism has grown in Pakistan over the last 20 years.

He said that there is no chance that Pakistan’s nuclear arms could slip from his hands due to the political instability.

He said: “There is no chance at all of our nuclear assets falling into the wrong hands,” Wall Street Journal informs.

Later on Monday Musharraf was due to meet NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in order to talk about Afghanistan.

In his tour, Musharraf will meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.