Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf has little time left to seal a pact with former premier Benazir Bhutto that a senior official said yesterday was vital to stop Pakistan's slide into political crisis.

Underlining the parallel threat from Islamic militancy, officials said up to 30 insurgents and 10 soldiers died in fighting near the Afghan border, just as a senior US official visited Pakistan to discuss efforts against the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

Musharraf, a key Washington ally, has been trying for months to secure an agreement with Bhutto that would allow her to return from exile and help him get another term. But with the presidential election due in less than five weeks, the two sides have yet to resolve key differences on how they might share power.