Brussels: At the start of a four-day European tour on Monday, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf pledged to hold free elections.

Musharraf's popularity has plummeted over recent months, especially after the December 27 assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

Musharraf's government has been blamed for Bhutto's death, with most Pakistani's fearing that the parliamentary election due on February 18 could be rigged.

"We are determined to hold free, fair and transparent elections, and peaceful elections ... There is no possibility of it being rigged," he said in Brussels.

"Whoever wins, obviously power will be handed over...There is no question at all that we will deny forming a government to which ever party forms a majority," he said.

Musharraf will meet Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels.

Musharraf will also visit France and attend the World Economic Forum in Switzerland before talks in London with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Musharraf said the goal of his trip was "correcting perspectives" in Europe and lauded what he said were improvements in the economy and security under his rule.