It was the highest-level contact since the state of emergency to be made between the US administration and Benazir, who was freed on Friday morning from house arrest at her home in Lahore.
Before his phone conversation with Benazir, Negroponte also met with President Musharraf's national security adviser Tariq Aziz, who was in London recently for talks aimed at brokering a power-sharing deal with Benazir. Negroponte, who is number two to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, repeated the US line for an end to the state of emergency imposed on November 3 when he spoke with Bhutto, McCormack said.
The envoy stressed "the importance of moderate forces working together in Pakistan for a better future for Pakistan, and also to get Pakistan back on the pathway to constitutional and democratic rule," McCormack said.
"He wanted to hear from her a little bit how she viewed the political situation in Pakistan," he said. It was not clear whether the United States believed a power-sharing deal between Musharraf and Benazir, who returned to Pakistan from self-imposed exile in London and Dubai last month, was still possible.
When asked if the talks could be revived, McCormack replied: "What I would say is that that would be up the two parties involved - President Musharraf and the prime minister, Benazir, whether or not they come to some political accommodation."
He recalled that Washington has been "very clear that we have encouraged moderate forces within" Pakistan, including Benazir, to work together for a democratic future, he said.
McCormack said Negroponte, who was due to continue his talks in Islamabad on Saturday, was expected to meet Musharraf, but had no details on those or any other talks. No follow-up meeting was expected with Benazir, he added.
After arriving in Islamabad, Negroponte also met with US embassy staff and the US ambassador, Anne Patterson, as well as at least one foreign ambassador, McCormack said.