Benazir Bhutto lands in Pakistan
Karachi,
Oct
18:
Former
Pakistan
Prime
Minister
Benazir
Bhutto
ended
eight
years
of
self
exile
today,
coming
home
to
Karachi
to
lead
her
party
into
elections
meant
to
return
her
country
to
civilian
rule.
''I am very excited, very happy and very proud,'' Bhutto said as her flight from Dubai was about to touch down. ''We have to have democracy in Pakistan.'' For years Bhutto had promised to return to Pakistan to end military dictatorship, yet she is coming back as a potential ally for President Pervez Musharraf, the army chief who seized power in a coup in 1999. There is speculation the two pro-Western leaders could share power in nuclear-armed Pakistan after a national election due in January. Al Qaeda linked militants have threatened to assassinate both.
Reuters>