Bhutto turns against Musharraf in Pakistan crisis (Roundup)

Nov 7, 2007, 14:03 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Wednesday renounced her cooperation with President Pervez Musharraf and demanded that he end emergency rule, step down as army chief and ensure that parliamentary elections are held as scheduled.

Violent scenes then took place near the parliament in the capital Islamabad after supporters of the two-time former prime minister's liberal Pakistan People's Party (PPP) clashed with police units armed with batons and tear gas. Several arrests were made.

Bhutto, who has been in power-sharing talks with Musharraf for several months, told a press briefing that police had earlier begun rounding up hundreds of PPP activists.

She called upon the opposition to rally in protest in the twin city of Rawalpindi on Friday at the military leader's actions, and threatened to stage a huge anti-Musharraf march to the capital from the city Lahore next week, saying that Pakistani citizens should 'stand up with courage to protect their rights.'

'Our objective in holding negotiations with the Musharraf government was that we wanted to restore democracy in a peaceful manner through free and fair elections,' Bhutto said.

'But since Musharraf has imposed emergency we no longer think we can trust him any more ... Instead of finding ourselves in a democratic order we found ourselves back in a dictatorship again,' she added, calling the emergency measures 'illegal, unconstitutional and immoral.'

The politician also called for the restoration of electronic media blocked by the authorities since the emergency was declared on Saturday, and the release of thousands of lawyers, political activists and judges who were arrested.

Musharraf has justified emergency measures by citing the rise in militant violence in the country and an unruly judiciary, many members of which were subsequently sacked and detained.

Bhutto criticized the government's failure to curb the spread of militancy amid the current political instability with a dire warning: 'If Pakistan implodes, it's a nuclear-armed country, this will have far-reaching ramifications.'

Pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan this week continued their offensive against security forces, pressing further into the Swat tourist region located just a few hours drive from the capital, Islamabad also saw heavy fighting in the summer when troops stormed a radical mosque defended by well-armed students and insurgents.

Bhutto's apparent rejection of a political alliance with Musharraf will cause alarm in the United States and Britain, which placed hopes on an agreement between the leaders to help stabilise the South Asian state bordering Afghanistan.

The British government on Wednesday called on Musharraf to guarantee free elections in January and step down as chief of the army staff by November 15.

Making the demands in a statement to parliament, Foreign Secretary David Miliband expressed the government's 'grave concern' at the imposition of a state of emergency, which had 'set back the process of democratic transition' in Pakistan.

Under pressure by the opposition and his backers in Washington and London, Musharraf - an army general who came to power in a 1999 coup and became key ally in the war on terror - had previously pledged to shed his uniform and serve as a civilian leader.

But facing the possibility that the Supreme Court would overturn his October 6 re-election, Musharraf on Saturday partially suspended the constitution and introduced measures tantamount to martial law.

Government officials have given conflicting statements on the prospects of holding the general elections on schedule.

However, the president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, said his party had no interest in any delay to the polls and was ready to talk to the PPP to ensure the transition to full democracy. He also predicted an end of the state of emergency before the end of the month.

'I'm sure it will end in two to three weeks as President Pervez Musharraf is aware of the consequences of long emergency rule,' Hussain told Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.

Meanwhile, the PPP reiterated its demand that independent foreign experts be called in to investigate the suicide bombings aimed at Bhutto when she arrived in the southern port city of Karachi last month after eight years in self-exile abroad.

Around 140 people died and some 500 were injured in the attack, which Bhutto blamed on members of the political establishment.