”Protesters should be able to exercise their right to really voice their opinions with respect to political matters and the police have a job to do as well,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

“We would just urge that ... neither side take actions that would deliberately provoke the other into a violent confrontation,” he said.

Pakistani police fired tear gas, detained about 150 activists and raided a television station on Friday as protesters denounced the government’s suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary a week ago.

The suspension of the judge by President Pervez Musharraf has sparked protests by lawyers and united opposition parties against Musharraf, who is expected to seek election for another term late this year.

McCormack made clear the United States saw Musharraf as a “good friend and ally” in the war on terrorism and praised him for some of the progress he had made in democratic reforms.

“Is there more to do? Yes, there is, absolutely,” McCormack. “But President Musharraf is acting in the best interest of Pakistan and the Pakistani people.”

McCormack’s tone was more conciliatory than a day earlier when he urged Musharraf to follow the “rule of law” over the case involving the judge and urged investigations to be ”above-board.”