Will Bhutto Rally Against Musharraf in Pakistan?

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Spiegel says yes . . .


http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1012638,00.jpg

Until now, the Pakistani opposition has left it to the country's lawyers to organize protests against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's declaration of emergency. But former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is planning a massive march for Friday.

With leaders from across the world twisting the arm of Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to retreat from his declaration of emergency on Saturday, the most intense pressure may be brewing from inside the country. Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who has so far refrained from mobilizing her supporters against Musharraf's installation of military rule, may go on the offensive later this week.

Protests so far have been led by the country's lawyers, who staged marches in cities around the country on Monday and Tuesday.

But on Tuesday, as Musharraf was holding a cabinet meeting to decide on a timeline for elections Bhutto made her way from Karachi to the capital, Islamabad, to meet with other opposition politicians and to plan a massive rally for Friday in the nearby city of Rawalpindi. As Bhutto boarded a plane in Karachi she vowed that she would not meet or negotiate with Musharraf.

Until Saturday Bhutto had been expected to form some kind of power-sharing arrangement with Musharraf after returning from exile two weeks ago. She has already denounced the emergency declaration as "mini-martial law" but had so far held back from mobilizing her huge popular support. However, on Monday she said: "If we do nothing, then Musharraf will think that the nation supports what has happened, and the nation does not support that." Speaking to the London Times Bhutto said: "The people of this country want change. They want General Musharraf to announce the restoration of the constitution, his retirement as Chief of Army Staff and the holding of elections on schedule."

Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister, who Musharraf ousted in a coup in 1999 called for people to take to the streets. Speaking from his exile in Saudi Arabia he said it was time for "the whole country to rise against these dictatorial actions."


http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,515664,00.html

[brazos121200]

1. Musharraf's declaration of emergency was done to protect him from Ms

Bhutto rather than from the terrorists. I think Pakistan would be in better shape to control and neutralize Al Qaeda under Bhutto if she is Democratically elected than under Gen. Musharraf. There have been at least two assassination attempts on him and one against Ms Bhutto already, and if the terrorists were to take over Pakistan it would be a disaster beyond belief. Pakistan's 25 or so nuclear weapons would then be at their disposal.