A day after standing down from the army which brought him to power in a coup in 1999, Musharraf took the oath of office for another five years at the presidential palace in Islamabad.

He called it "a milestone" in Pakistan's transition to democracy and vowed January 8 elections would go ahead "come hell or high water" despite threats of a boycott by former premiers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

As he spoke there were clashes in the eastern city of Lahore, where police baton-charged hundreds of lawyers protesting against his swearing-in. Lawyers said 12 to 15 were hurt and several arrested.

But Musharraf brushed aside fresh calls by US President George W. Bush and other Western "war on terror" allies as well as his domestic enemies to end emergency rule as an "unrealistic obsession."

"We want democracy, we want human rights, we want civil liberties but we will do it our way," Musharraf, 64, said in a speech after a solemn oath-taking ceremony shown live on national television.

"We understand our society, our environment, better than anyone in the West," he said.

Musharraf gave no indication about when he might end the November 3 state of emergency during his address to hundreds of dignitaries, including Western diplomats and his successor as army chief, General Ashfaq Kiyani.

The oath was administered by chief justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, who was propelled into the job when Musharraf sacked the nation's previous top judge for refusing to recognise the state of emergency.

"It is indeed a historic day and emotional day for me. This is a milestone in the transition of Pakistan to a complete essence of democracy," Musharraf said, wearing a traditional black Pakistani tunic.

He extended an olive branch to his rivals Bhutto and Sharif, saying their recent return from exile was "good for political reconciliation".

But the ongoing political tensions that he faces were shown by the clashes in Lahore. Witnesses said lawyers chanting "Go, Musharraf, Go!" pelted police with stones and bottles. Police said some of their officers were also injured.

Hours earlier, Bush welcomed Musharraf's resignation from the army which followed intense global pressure, but urged him to lift the emergency.

"In my judgment, in order to get Pakistan back on the road to democracy, he's got to suspend the emergency law before elections," the US president told CNN television in an interview.

Nevertheless, Bush praised Musharraf -- a key ally against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban -- as "an absolute reliable partner in dealing with extremists and radicals".

China, one of Pakistan's closest allies, congratulated Musharraf, saying it was confident he would be able to maintain the country's social stability and economic development.

Musharraf was set to address the nation at 8:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Thursday, but officials played down speculation he would lift the state of emergency.

He imposed emergency rule citing growing militancy and a hostile judiciary, but critics charge that he wanted to rid the Supreme Court of hostile judges, fearing they would invalidate his victory in an October 6 election.

The measure has taken to a new level a political crisis that erupted when Musharraf first tried to sack the independent-minded former chief justice in March.

Raza Rabbani, a senior official in Bhutto's party, dismissed the oath as "too little and too late". Sharif's party said the oath-taking was illegal and unconstitutional.

Rights group Amnesty International said it was concerned Musharraf had not lifted the emergency, adding that his actions had limited the ability to hold Pakistan's leaders to account for human rights abuses.

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