Hope of any understanding with Musharraf is finished: Benazir
London (PTI): Stating that his time is up, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said hope of an understanding with President Pervez Musharraf is now finished.
"By suspending the constitution and declaring a state of emergency he reneged on his promises to us," the Pakistan People's Party chief declared. "Any understanding between us is now finished," she told The Sunday Times on Saturday night.
Bhutto spoke of her outrage at Musharraf's decision. "I feel absolutely shocked that we have this year-long negotiation and we agree to work together, then he turns around and suspends the constitution," she said.
She insisted that the only way to avoid violence is for Musharraf to step down.
"His two trump cards were the international community and the army. Now he's losing both. The only option he has is to step aside and hand over power to an interim government of national consensus that will oversee elections. His time is up."
"I face a difficult predicament," she said. "I've long been worried about creeping Talibanisation in Pakistan and if I don't take the lead there may well be extremist elements that come out. So I have no choice. First because we believe in democracy and second otherwise I will leave a vacuum that someone else might fill."
Sounding tired but elated, Bhutto vowed to go ahead with the three-day Long March planned for this week, despite government insistence that it will be blocked. The event will bring her into all-out confrontation with the regime.
