The decision to put back parliamentary elections originally planned for January 8 for six weeks followed the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27 and the violent protests that ensued.
"We are determined to hold free, fair and transparent elections, and peaceful elections," the Pakistani leader said while in Belgium.
"We are for democracy and I have introduced the essence of democracy, but we cannot be as forward looking as you (in the West) are. Allow us some time to reach that state," he also commented.
Last week, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner urged Pakistan to ensure open and peaceful parliamentary elections. The EU official also demanded security guarantees, including for EU observers.
European Commission spokesperson Christiana Homan said earlier that the EU observer mission would face the task of giving a comprehensive assessment of the entire election process. She pledged to verify the compliance of the voting process with international democratic standards.
Musharraf's European trip is to take him to Belgium, France, Switzerland and Britain. He is expected to meet with EU and NATO officials in Brussels.
Concerns have been repeatedly expressed since Bhutto's December assassination that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal could fall into the hands of Islamic hard-line groups, backed by the Taliban and a range of Al-Qaeda influenced movements.
More clashes were reported on Monday in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan, where around 90 militants were killed by the Pakistani army last Friday. Coming amid a spate of violence along the Afghan border following Taliban assaults on two army outposts earlier last week, the attacks dealt a serious blow to security forces' efforts to clear the region of militants.
However, Musharraf has said that any unilateral moves by U.S.-led coalition forces against militants in the country's troubled and mountainous border region with Afghanistan would be regarded as an invasion.
"I challenge anybody coming into our mountains. They would regret the day," he told the Straits Times newspaper in early January.
Musharraf has threatened to resign as president if any new government elected following the February 18 polls seeks his impeachment.
