Benazir ready to take her protests against emergency to streets

Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto has condemned the imposition of emergency in the country and has threatened to carry out protests in the streets against the martial law.

Karachi, Nov 3 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto has condemned the imposition of emergency in the country and has threatened to carry out protests in the streets against the martial law.

Speaking minutes after President Pervez Musharraf's pre-recorded televised address to the nation came to an end, Benazir said: "The Provisional Constitutional Order be reversed immediately."

She said that that the General took the step, as he feared that the Supreme Court's judgement on the validity of his candidature for the October 6 Presidential polls would go against him.

She demanded immediate restoration of the Constitution, and holding of free and fair elections.

She arrived here from Dubai tonight on an Emirates flight, cutting short her visit in the wake of the imposition of martial law in the country.

With hundreds of her supporters greeting her at the airport, she directly headed to her Land cruiser and made no comments about the imposition of emergency.

Her convoy then rushed towards her Karachi residence, Bilawal House.

There were no signs of any visible deterrence or impediments by the administration on her convoy.

However, Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, speaking to an Indian private news channel termed the imposition of martial law in the country as 'unfortunate'.

He said that Benazir is a 'political scientist' and made the plan to return to Karachi after the emergency was imposed, since she had promised the people of Pakistan that she would be there with them in their time of adversity.

"It's definitely not pleasant news (imposition of emergency)," Zardari added.

However many political analysts have inferred her return and her refusal to speak to reporters in Karachi, as an indication of her secret understanding with Musharraf. n Thursday, Bhutto left for Dubai citing her mother's poor health.

Bhutto was scheduled to arrive back on November 8.

She had survived a suicide attack during her homecoming procession on October 18, as she ended her eight years of self-exile.

Her homecoming was made possible after she made some negotiations with President Pervez Musharraf.

ANI