As President Musharraf faced a new challenge from the Supreme Court today, the United States was preparing to give his beleaguered leadership a strong public endorsement.

A high-level delegation arrives tomorrow for two days of “strategic” talks with the embattled President, with the deputy US Secretary of State, John Negroponte, opening discussions with the military leader at the head of a large delegation, representing several US government departments.

America is at pains to emphasise that the visit was planned long before General Musharraf ordered the deposed Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, to be deported after a failed attempt to return home on Monday. America considered cancelling or postponing the visit, but decided to press on with its show of support.

But the timing is being interpreted by many Pakistanis as proof that Washington will not drop its support for General Musharraf while he remains a key ally in its war on terror.

The action against Mr Sharif prompted criticism from Britain and the European Union, which said that the President should respect the law. But Washington’s response was far more guarded. Gordon Johndroe, a US national security spokesman, described the crisis as “an internal matter for the Pakistanis to deal with”.

America regards General Musharraf as the best leader available to deal with Pakistan’s Islamic militants, who are allied to the Taleban and are accused of sheltering Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders believed to be hiding in the country’s rugged tribal region along the Afghan border.

The precarious situation in the region was highlighted today when a suicide bomber near the city of Peshawar exploded a device on a minibus killing as many as 17 people, most of them civilians.

Mr Negroponte, who was until recently America’s intelligence chief, will raise the threat of terrorism when he opens talks with General Musharraf tomorrow.

The US envoy will be accompanied by senior security officials, including Dell Dailey, the State Department’s coordinator for counter-terrorism. ”We need to get Musharraf to refocus on the security issue,” said a Western diplomat in Islamabad. “This is of great concern not only to the US but Britain, Germany and other countries which are facing terrorist threats.”

Getting the Pakistani leader to concentrate on this issue could be difficult, however, as he battles for his political survival over the weeks and months ahead.

Analysts believe that General Musharraf will do everything in his power to stop Mr Sharif from returning before a presidential election, due by October 15, and parliamentary polls, due by mid-January.

Mr Sharif does not plan to give up the fight. Although stranded in exile, his wife is expected to arrive by September 20 to take up her husband’s cause.

The Supreme Court is almost certain to rule in Mr Sharif’s favour since it has been in confrontation with Gen Musharraf since he unsuccessfully tried to sack the Chief Justice in March.

The court is also considering petitions challenging Gen Musharraf’s right to hold simultaneously the posts of army chief and head of state and his eligibility to stand for president in the upcoming elections.

The crisis has further eroded support for the general turned politician, who was widely criticised today in the Pakistani press. ”Nothing worse can possibly happen to Pakistan (than) what General Musharraf-led military regime did on Monday,” said a comment piece in The News, a respected English-language daily.

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