PERVEZ MUSHARRAF embarked on a new five-year term as Pakistan's civilian president Thursday, but gave no indication of when emergency rule will be lifted -- a key demand of both his domestic rivals and the United States.

The inauguration ceremony came a day after he ended a four-decade military career as part of his long-delayed pledge not to serve as both president and army chief.

Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar administered the oath to a solemn-looking Musharraf, dressed in long black tunic adorned only with a pin of Pakistan's green and white flag. He saluted several times during the ceremony, with top military brass in attendance.

Opposition politicians Thursday urged Musharraf to immediately lift emergency rule, restore the constitution and reverse his decision to oust chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry and other independent-minded judges.

Musharraf sought to justify the emergency imposed Nov. 3, during which he purged the Supreme Court just as it was about to issue a verdict on the legality of his continued rule. The retooled court last week gave its stamp of approval.

He also lashed out at Western diplomats, giving them a stinging rebuttal of their criticisms.

"I personally feel that there is an unrealistic and maybe an impractical or impracticable obsession with your form of democracy, with your form of human rights, civil liberties," Musharraf said, claiming to speak for developing countries everywhere.

Pakistan wanted to attain those goals, but would need time and support to reach standards that others had built over centuries, he said.

"We will do it our way as we understand our society, our environment better than anyone in the West," he said.

Musharraf also welcomed the return from exile of his old foes, former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, saying it was "good" for political reconciliation.

"I only hope that they will ... move forward toward a conciliatory, civilized, democratic and political environment in the future," Musharraf said.

However, neither was present at Thursday's ceremony in the state palace in Islamabad, and it remained unclear whether the changeover would defuse the threat of a boycott of upcoming parliamentary elections. Such a move would undercut Musharraf's effort to legitimize his rule through a democratic ballot.

"This is a milestone in the transition of Pakistan to the complete essence of democracy," Musharraf told an audience of government officials, foreign diplomats and military generals. "Elections will be held in January come whatever may."

Musharraf also said that stepped-up military action had "broken the back of the spread of terrorism" in the northwest.

Still, a military spokesman said five soldiers died and four were injured in the region Thursday when a roadside bomb exploded next to a passing convoy.

In the eastern city of Lahore, street clashes broke out between police and lawyers protesting against Musharraf's inauguration. Four lawyers and three officers were injured, police said.

Musharraf was the Pakistani army's commander in chief when he seized power from Sharif in a bloodless coup in 1999. He retained the post for the past eight years and the army has remained his main power base throughout.

(SD-Agencies)