Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto will defy President Pervez Musharraf and go ahead with a pro-democracy rally next week, an aide said today.
Ms Bhutto, who was kept under house arrest in Islamabad yesterday to prevent her from leading a protest in the adjoining town of Rawalpindi, plans a motorcade from Lahore to a demonstration in the capital, Islamabad on Tuesday.
Her house arrest was lifted last night but police maintained a strong security presence at Ms Bhutto’s Islamabad residence early today.
And she was prevented today from visiting former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry who was sacked recently before ruling on whether Gen Musharraf’s recent re-election was legal.
Pakistan’s slide into political uncertainty has accelerated over the past week with General Musharraf’s imposition of emergency rule last Saturday attracting international condemnation and domestic opposition to his rule.
Thousands of Musharraf opponents have been arrested including many lawyers objecting to the recent sacking of the chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry. Hundreds of lawyers marched against Gen Musharraf near the district court in Islamabad again today.
Ms Bhutto, the politician most able to mobilise masses on the streets, left her residence on today saying she was going to meet civil society groups. She was due to meet foreign diplomats later today.
"I thank the international community for standing by the people of Pakistan and supporting people’s democratic aspirations and for elections on time," she said.
Gen Musharraf bowed to pressure this week and set February 15 th for a general election. But Ms Bhutto said the date should be earlier and echoed international calls him to stand down as leader of the military.
Gen Musharraf this week said he would quit as army chief and be sworn in as a civilian president once new judges appointed to the Supreme Court struck down challenges against his re-election.
However, he has not yet confirmed the claims of his officials, who have said emergency rule will be lifted in "a month or two".
"It all depends on the law and order situation. If it is normal, the emergency will be lifted," said Attorney General Malik Abdul Qayyum.
Ms Bhutto has been holding power-sharing talks with Gen Musharraf for months and political analysts say co-operation between the pair is still possible.
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