WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is sending its no. 2 diplomat to Pakistan to tell President Musharraf in person to rescind emergency rule and allow free and fair elections.

Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, now on a four-nation West Africa tour, is expected in Pakistan on Friday to underscore America’s concerns about the situation as General Musharraf resists pressure to return to constitutional rule or to free an opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, who has been placed under house arrest for a second time.

“I would expect that he will provide the same message in private to Pakistani officials that we have been saying in public,” a deputy State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, said.

“We want like to see all moderate political forces be able to work together, we continue to want to see elections move forward in a free, fair and transparent manner, [and] we want to see the emergency decree lifted,” Mr. Casey told reporters.

Mr. Casey could not say exactly who Mr. Negroponte would see but said his visit was not expected to include stops outside Islamabad, making a meeting with Ms. Bhutto unlikely. She is under house arrest in Lahore and called for General Musharraf’s resignation yesterday.