Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said that she is ready to meet Nawaz Sharif, also a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, to discuss a possible boycott of the parliamentary election, due to be held on January 8.
She also said on Sunday that unless the government re-establishes control in tribal border areas, “foreign forces” could enter the country, Guardian Unlimited reports.
Sharif said that he will only take part in the election if the judges that were fired from the Supreme Court are reinstated.
Bhutto said that although she will take part in the election she could still boycott them, but added that a boycott could legitimize President Pervez Musharraf's emergency rule decision.
On November 3 Musharraf imposed the emergency rule blaming the militancy in the country.
Later on he said that the decision was taken “in the
national interest” because
The security forces suffered in the recent months a series
of attacks from pro-Taliban militants that oppose Musharraf’s support for the
The meeting between Bhutto and Sharif will be the first since the two returned from the exile, BBC News informs.
On Saturday Bhutto launched her campaign in
Tahmina Daultana, the vice-president of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) party, said that Bhutto shouldn’t participate in these elections.
He said: "If she goes in and comes in through the back door, getting the support of President Musharraf, then that will not be a democratic way.”
Musharraf said last week that he would end the emergency rule on December 16 and he also stepped down as the head of the army. On Thursday he was sworn in as a civilian president.
Sharif led a rally of about 2,000 supporters in
He said: “He is obeying
Six religious parties delayed the decision to boycott the election in order to consult with both Bhutto and Sharif regarding this matter.