British envoy in Pak meets Benazir

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Robert Brinkley held a meeting with former premier Benazir Bhutto here on Wednesday, during which the PPP chief shared her concerns about the prospects of free elections under emergency rule in the country.

Karachi, Nov 21 : British High Commissioner to Pakistan Robert Brinkley held a meeting with former premier Benazir Bhutto here on Wednesday, during which the PPP chief shared her concerns about the prospects of free elections under emergency rule in the country.

Brinkley met Bhutto at her home in Karachi, two days after the US ambassador to Pakistan made a similar visit to the former premier, The News reported.

"I shared our concerns about free and fair elections in Pakistan and the need of an independent election commission to hold fair and impartial elections," Bhutto told reporters after the meeting.

"I am happy that the British government desires a level playing field for all political parties," she said, adding that she also conveyed her "dissatisfaction" about Pakistani investigations into a suicide bombing that killed 139 people during a parade to welcome her home from exile on October 18.

The British High Commission said in a statement that Brinkley called on Bhutto "to discuss the current political situation" and told her that Britain "strongly supports free and fair elections."

"Mr Brinkley reiterated the UK's position, calling on General Musharraf to restore constitutional order as soon as possible, and before the January elections, to release all political prisoners and lift curbs on the media, and to step down as chief of army staff," the statement was quoted, as saying.

"He said that there must be a level playing field for all political parties to take part in the elections, but that this was not possible under the current conditions, with political activists detained and restrictions on the media in force," it added.

ANI