Behind the scenes, American officials are pressuring Pakistan to crack down on the militant groups India has blamed.

During the Clinton years, top officials pressured Japanese leaders to fix their banks and do more to stimulate their slumping economy.

Mr. Rafalat said that several local officials pressured him for favors, telling him, "You have to satisfy our needs."

But Japanese officials are pressuring banks there to cut back on loan growth and to increase profitability.

Mr. Stein acknowledged that several Democratic leaders and elected officials have been pressuring him to fold up his campaign, but he said he was still running.

In addition to the buying by Government-controlled trusts, officials have pressured institutions not to sell their shares and trigger another big decline.

Even so, in 1986, when Iranian officials pressured Musawi to dissolve his organization, he refused.

Democratic and Republican officials have been pressuring independent political action committees to stop seeking money for campaign advertising, even ads in behalf of their party's Presidential candidates.

She later recanted and said that Canadian officials had pressured her.

Texian officials pressured them to return all white captives and invited the principal chiefs to visit.