Ex-Pak leaders call for free, fair election
Reuters, London
Former Pakistani prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif called on Thursday for free and fair elections that would end their exile. Benazir and Sharif, once bitter rivals, formed the multi-party Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy after President Pervez Musharraf seized power in 1999 in a bloodless coup. "We want the restoration of democracy in Pakistan and we believe that fair, free and impartial elections must be held ... and that these elections should be open to all political parties," Benazir told a news conference in London after talks with Sharif. Sharif said: "Both of us have agreed that elections must be held under a neutral caretaker set up." As part of their alliance, both politicians signed a "Charter of Democracy" binding them to struggle against Musharraf's military regime and not to communicate with it.
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Former Pakistani prime ministers Benazir Bhutto (L) and Nawaz Sharif attend a press conference in central London Thursday. Benazir and Sharif promised Thursday to return to their country to demand "free and fair" elections despite a warning they would not be allowed to return home. PHOTO: AFP |
