The Bush administration, struggling to find a way to keep General Pervez Musharraf in power amid a deepening political crisis in Pakistan, is quietly prodding him to share authority with longtime rival Benazir Bhutto as a way of broadening his base, according to American and Pakistani officials.

Musharraf, an important ally since the September 11, 2001, attacks, has lost so much domestic support in recent months that American officials have gotten behind the idea that an alliance with Bhutto would be his best chance of remaining president.

The two met in an unannounced session in Abu Dhabi on July 27, but neither has publicly admitted to the meeting. Since then, many in Pakistan have heard the rumours and voiced their doubts about the workability and political wisdom of such a deal, and American officials concede that the proposed power-sharing could come with problems as well as benefits.

But after weeks of unrest in Pakistan, American officials say a power-sharing agreement that might install Bhutto as prime minister could help defuse a confrontation in which Musharraf has already flirted with invoking emergency powers. Administration officials have said they fear that Musharraf could eventually be toppled and replaced by a leader who might be less reliable as a guardian of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and as an ally against terrorism.

Even in supporting a power-sharing agreement, the American officials say they worried that any diminution of Musharraf’s power could only complicate American counterterrorism efforts at a time when Al Qaeda is believed to be rebuilding in Pakistan’s tribal areas. They also say that Bhutto’s return could fuel Pakistani nationalism and kindle new calls for Pakistan to distance itself from Washington.

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