Benazir Bhutto 'to return soon' to Pakistan
Updated on 01 September 2007
The exiled former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto announces she is going home to fight forthcoming elections.
The crush to get into her news conference, certainly raised expectations of a big announcement. Crowded in with almost as many of her party supporters as media, all Benazir Bhutto could confirm was that she'd secured no deal with President Musharraf, but that she was going back to Pakistan some time soon.
Ms Bhutto accused a "hard core" in Musharaff's party for scuppering a deal. And blamed his government for allowing militant Islam, what she called the "forces of darkness" to thrive under his rule
She also referred to the 7/7 London bomber Shehzad Tanweer's Pakistani links as a deliberate attempt to position herself as the "moderate" alternative to a Talibanised Pakistan. Bhutto met the foreign secretary David Miliband yesterday; and Washington is believed to be supportive:
"The state is set for the restoration of democracy and I am ready to play my part. I hope the international community will support the restoration of democracy. We need a moderate leadership and I will do it." - Benazir Bhutto
But with her rival Nawaz Sharif going back on September 10th, the fear is that the civilian opposition remains fatally divided. Bhutto also knows the danger of being seen by Pakistanis as the West's darling.
"This is a critical time, important for all pakistanis who want moderate future, free of terrorism, to work with us to obtain these aims."
Bhutto says she's optimistic. But as she and her party faithful head back to Abu Dhabi,Pakistan, the fact remains that she has a lot of hurdles ahead of her.
Without a deal to change the constitution Benazir Bhutto can't run for prime minister for a third term anyway.
