Dictatorship has always nurtured extremism in Pakistan: Benazir

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has claimed that dictatorships have always nurtured extremism in Pakistan.

Lahore, Dec 26 : Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has claimed that dictatorships have always nurtured extremism in Pakistan.

She said the PPP had never accepted any dictator in uniform, saying its founder and her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was hanged because he refused to kowtow to a dictator.

Bhutto said her party always wanted to bring Pakistan into the modern world, adding that every dictator wanted to keep the people of Pakistan away from modernity.

She claimed Zia-ul-Haq did not let people buy or listen to the radio because he feared they would listen to foreign broadcasts and raise their voices against him.

Extremism was the biggest threat to Pakistan and it should be eradicated, she told a public gathering in Muzaffargarh District in Punjab.

Bhutto said the government is conducting military operations in Balochistan, even as extremists are being allowed a free reign in Pakistan's tribal areas.

She described the deaths of innocent Muslims in mosques on the ocassion of Eid-ul-Azha as part of a conspiracy against Islam.

The Daily Times quoted her as saying that Musharraf had promised free, fair and transparent elections to the world, adding that she would keep a close eye on Musharraf to ensure that he fulfilled his promise.

ANI