Islamabad: Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's hope of a smooth re-election was threatened by ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto as she said that her party would probably quit parliament to rob the vote of credibility.

"I think that the resignation of the Pakistan Peoples Party MPs will be a severe blow to the legitimacy of the presidential elections", Bhutto said in London, where her party began a two-day meeting to decide its plan of action.

There is still no certainty that Saturday's vote will go ahead, as the Supreme Court is considering a last-ditch bid by opponents to block Musharraf's re-election on grounds that as a serving soldier he shouldn't be allowed to stand.

The fate of US ally Musharraf, and future of nuclear-armed Pakistan is being closely watched, especially by Western nations with troops in Afghanistan and threatened by al Qaeda militants hiding in tribal lands on the border between the two countries.

If the election goes ahead in parliament and the four provincial assemblies on Oct. 6, Musharraf, who came to power in a coup in 1999,should easily beat his two rivals thanks to the ruling coalition s parliamentary majority.

It will be a hollow victory, however, if Bhutto's party joins other opposition by resigning from parliament. Musharraf has been in negotiations with Bhutto for a possible post-election power sharing pact, but those talks had stalled, Bhutto told reporters in London.

 

Source : UNI