Musharraf urges Bhutto to put off return home
Islamabad,
Oct
10:
Pakistani
President
Pervez
Musharraf
said
in
comments
broadcast
today
that
former
Prime
Minister
Benazir
Bhutto
should
not
return
home
until
the
country's
top
court
rules
on
the
legality
of
his
re-election
victory
last
week.
Bhutto is scheduled to fly back home on October 18 after living eight years in self-exile. US ally Musharraf and Bhutto have been in talks for months to reach a power-sharing pact.
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The
Supreme
Court
is
due
to
reconvene
on
October
17
to
consider
opposition
challenges
to
Musharraf's
eligibility
in
the
presidential
election
last
Saturday
in
which
he
swept
most
votes.
''I would say she should not come before. We must tide over these problems. She should come later,'' he said in an interview with private ARYONE television network broadcast today.
Asked whether she should return after the decision, he said: ''Yes, certainly''.
He did not elaborate why he thought she should return after the court decision.
In a major step towards the possible deal, Musharraf last week promulgated an ordinance dropping corruption charges against Bhutto and other public office holders from 1985 to 1999.
In return, members of parliament from Bhutto' party, unlike other opposition parliamentarians, did not resign and abstained when Musharraf, who is also army chief, sought the vote.
Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup in 1999, has promised to quit the post of army chief before taking oath of office for the second term. His current term in office expires on November 15.
Bhutto plans to come back to lead her party in a general election due in early January.
Reuters
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