Friday, April 1 2005 17:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jaipur: Appreciating improvement in Indo-Pak ties, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto today (April 1, 2005) said that it would be more meaningful if democracy was restored in her country and elected leaders represented it in the dialogue process.

Accompanied by her husband Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto on her arrival in Jaipur from Dubai said that Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, slated to be launched on April 7 was a good step towards normalisation of relations.

Cricket matches and opening up of more travel routes were helping the process of normalisation of relations between the two countries she said, before leaving for Ajmer to offer prayers at the Dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

She favoured opening of routes between two Punjabs to facilitate people-to-people contact.

Expressing happiness over growing Indo-Pak relations, she said, "It will be more meaningful if Pakistan is represented by elected leaders during bilateral talks."

Bhutto, who has been in exile for nearly a decade, expressed the hope that democracy would be restored soon in Pakistan.

"I hope that I shall be returning to my country soon after return of democracy. On our part we are trying our best to find ways as to how to speed up the process of return of democracy," she said. She added that Zardari would be returning to Pakistan on April 16 to discuss with her party leaders a strategy for restoration of democracy.