BRUSSELS - PAKISTANI President Pervez Musharraf pledged free elections at the start of a European tour on Monday to boost outside support, but urged the West not to set unrealistic rights standards for his troubled country.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana told the former army chief that the Feb 18 polls meant to complete a transition to civilian rule must be 'free, fair and secure' and their conduct would determine the level of future EU cooperation.

Mr Musharraf, his popularity in decline in Pakistan after a year of turmoil that has seen stepped up militant attacks and the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Dec 27, said he wanted to correct perceptions during his tour.

Asked how he would handle any victory by opponents, he replied: 'Whoever wins, obviously power will be handed over ... There is no question at all that we will deny forming a government to whichever party forms a majority.'

At the European Parliament, Mr Musharraf rejected 'insinuations' of government involvement in Ms Bhutto's murder and collusion between intelligence agencies and the Taleban.

'Pakistan is at the forefront of fighting terrorism and extremism,' he said. 'Please understand us, please support us, please encourage us instead of the insinuation.'

Mr Musharraf said there was no possibility of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal falling into militant hands, as it was under tight military control.

'That could be possible only and only if these terrorists can defeat the Pakistan army ... or if they were to win in the elections ... there is no chance whatsoever of that.'

West 'obsessive' on rights
Responding to concerns over human rights and democracy, Mr Musharraf said he believed in both but termed Western preoccupation with the issues 'obsessive'.

'You have taken centuries in reaching wherever you have come. Allow us time for going for the values that you have established for yourselves.'

Mr Solana said the European Union wanted the elections to bring progress in reform, especially in ensuring the rule of law.

'Elections have to be fair and free and secure,' he said after talks with Mr Musharraf. 'Our cooperation, our level of engagement will be in view of the results of the process.'

Mr Musharraf said he had raised Pakistan's bid for greater market access to the EU with Mr Solana. 'We need to sustain our economic growth,' he said.

A surge of attacks by Al-Qaeda-linked militants based on the Afghan border has raised concern about Pakistan's stability and its efforts to support Nato and US forces struggling to subdue Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan.

Mr Musharraf said Al-Qaeda itself was 'on the run' in Pakistan but the country was facing a new wave of Taleban militancy.

Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer discussed the battle against militants with Mr Musharraf in Brussels and both agreed Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nato needed to cooperate as closely as possible, a Nato spokesman said.

On Tuesday, Mr Musharraf will see French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris and then attend the World Economic Forum in Davos before talks in London with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.