Benazir Bhutto called Tuesday on President Pervez Musharraf to quit

[HAIDER]

LAHORE, Pakistan, Nov 13 (AFP) Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto called Tuesday on President Pervez Musharraf to quit, vowing never to serve under him in government. Holed up under house arrest with close aides in Lahore as more than 1,000 police manned barbed wire barricades outside, she urged the world to abandon Musharraf. “It is over with Musharraf,” she told an international news agency in an interview from inside the residence where she has been detained. “General Musharraf must quit. He must quit as president and as chief of army staff. I call on the international community to stop backing him - to stop backing the man whose dictatorship threatens to engulf this nuclear-armed state in chaos.” Musharraf was a failed leader for imposing a state of emergency, suspending the constitution, sacking senior judges and cracking down on political dissent and the media, Benazir said. “I would not serve as prime minister under a man who has repeatedly broken his promises, who is a dictator,” she said. “Look what he is giving to the nation - imposing an emergency, suspending the constitution and cracking down on democratic forces. We gave him a roadmap for a peaceful transition but he has flouted that.” Benazir also said she wanted to build an alliance with other opposition leaders including ex-premier Nawaz Sharif. “I want to build an alliance, a single point agenda for the restoration of democracy,” she told reporters, according to a PPP spokesman. (First Posted @ 12:30 PST Updated @ 19:12 PST)
- DAWN - Latest Stories; November 13, 2007

 

[HAIDER]

Imran Khan says would join Benazir in anti-Musharraf campaign ISLAMABAD, Nov 13 (AFP) - Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan said Tuesday he would launch a joint opposition campaign with Benazir Bhutto if she agreed to boycott elections. Benazir phoned Imran and other political leaders opposed to President Pervez Musharraf's imposition of a state of emergency. “I spoke to Benazir Bhutto today. She has talked about boycotting elections which is a welcome step,” He told a private Tv channel from an undisclosed location where he is in hiding after escaping house arrest. “We should all boycott these fraudulent elections under emergency rule and on this point we can run a joint campaign,” Imran said. “We should all agree that until courts are not restored to pre-emergency status, we should not take part in elections.” He added that there should be a “one-point agenda of opposition parties -- remove Musharraf.” (Posted @ 20:14 PST)

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Nawaz Sharif welcomes Benazir turning against Musharraf, says opposition should unite ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov 13 (AP) Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Tuesday welcomed Benazir Bhutto's call for President Musharraf to resign and said the opposition should unite against the military ruler. Sharif called for Benazir and other opposition parties to work together for the restoration of top judges President Musharraf ousted when he declared a state of emergency. ''What I'm hearing on TV, her statements today that she has cut off all her links with Pervez Musharraf and wants him to resign from both offices, I think it is a positive development and a step toward achieving the objectives of the opposition,'' he told The Associated Press by phone from Saudi Arabia. (Posted @ 18:54 PST)

 

[Quwa]

I wonder...if the cronie government came in power under NRO and all the other criminal support - would it not push the well-intentioned members of each party to rally underground? IIRC members of PPP resigned over NRO, and I'm sure there are good individuals with good creditentials and intentions in every party. Push the current political system and parties - i.e. their leaders and top command - to the surface, and draw out all the good and allow them to form a joint-opposition underground?

 

[fatman17]

I wonder...if the cronies government came in power under NRO and all the other criminal support - would it not push the well-intentioned members of each party to rally underground? IIRC members of PPP resigned over NRO, and I'm sure there are good individuals with good credentials and intentions in every party. Push the current political system and parties - i.e. their leaders and top command - to the surface, and draw out all the good and allow them to form a joint-opposition underground?

NRO is the achilles heel of Musharraf - i am sure he is regretting this move!!!

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Very confusing and the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be elusive!