“I have shared with General Musharraf that my party is getting very upset, because elections are round the corner, and that, by the end of this month, we really need to know where we stand,” she told the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) of the US in an interview.
“We either have a package or we don’t have a package,” she said. “And if we have a package, well, then, we need the measures that we’ve agreed upon to come into play.”
Ms Bhutto, who leads the Pakistan People’s Party from exile in London and Dubai, made these remarks when asked by the television network how long it would take for her to conclude that Mr Musharraf was not serious about sharing power with her.
The presidential elections is expected to be held between September 15 and October 15 and general elections late this year or in early 2008.
Ms Bhutto had met with Mr Musharraf in Abu Dhabi last month but neither has publicly admitted to the meeting.
Ms Bhutto said even if there wasn’t a package, she still intended to return to Pakistan and campaign for her party and join other moderate political parties “to try and bring about a transition.
“I hope it doesn’t come to a breakdown in the negotiations between General Musharraf and the PPP. But, at the end of the day, we can’t afford to be contaminated by his unpopularity without getting the price for democracy,” she said.
Ms Bhutto also warned the government that Pakistan would face the danger of outside military strikes unless it is able to take control of its own territories.
Copy of Sharif deal
Meanwhile, Pakistan government on Wednesday submitted to the Supreme Court a copy of the “agreement” reached with deposed Premier Nawaz Sharif and his family prior to sending them to exile to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Government lawyers’ submission of the document came after Sharif and his brother Shahbaz filed identical petitions in the apex court seeking a directive for authorities not to obstruct their return home from, what they claim, a forced exile and allow them to take part in general elections scheduled towards the end of this year.
GEN TALK
‘Polls will be held on time’
Islamabad, PTI: Ruling out emergency, President Pervez Musharraf has said the general elections slated later this year in Pakistan would not be postponed but the presidential poll would be held before that.
“We are resolved to hold elections in a fair and transparent manner and want that whichever government comes, it should complete its five-year term so that continuity in policies is ensured to counter the challenges being faced by the country,” The News reported on Wednesday, quoting Mr Musharraf as saying.