Pakistan opposition wants better security ahead of elections

Pakistan's opposition parties demanded better security ahead of next month's elections. The calls came as the nation prepares for a lengthy February 18 election campaign, a week after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan opposition wants better security ahead of elections The country's main political parties confirmed they would resume the race to restore democracy here but said the government must ensure candidates are protected from the dangers posed by anyone determined to disrupt the polls. "We would like the government to provide foolproof security to Sharif, including a bulletproof vehicle," said Ahsan Iqbal, a spokesman for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the party of two-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. "We will continue our election campaign but we are revising the party chief's programme of public engagements in view of the current security situation." President Pervez Musharraf announced the postponement of planned January 8 elections until February 18 in his first major speech to the nation since Bhutto's murder a week ago plunged the nation into turmoil. He also announced Wednesday that a team of investigators from Scotland Yard, expected by the weekend, had been invited to clear up confusion over how the two-time former prime minister died, amid widespread disbelief at the official version of her death. The PML-N spokesman said the party was not deterred by the vote delay and was determined to wage a lengthy nationwide campaign despite security concerns. "Although the elections are now more than a month away the delay will not cause any harm to the campaign of our party, which is determined to restore genuine democracy in Pakistan," Iqbal said. The government had provided Bhutto with a bulletproof vehicle and police security but many of her supporters blame Musharraf for failing to stop the gun and suicide-bomb attack which killed her last Thursday in Rawalpindi. Her October 18 homecoming from self-imposed exile saw nearly 140 people killed in a suicide bombing on her convoy in Karachi. Sherry Rehman, spokeswoman for Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), said her widowed husband and the party's de facto new leader, Asif Ali Zardari, would lead the campaign after its mourning period ended early next month. "The party's co-chairperson Asif Zardari will address some major public meetings after February 7 all over the country," she said. Farooq Naik, Bhutto's lawyer and top aide, said "the party will certainly demand foolproof security from the government" during the election campaign. "We want the government to provide security to Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and other political leaders to the same level as President Musharraf," Naik added. The postponement of the vote has been criticised as a ploy by Musharraf loyalists in the government to rob the PPP of any sympathy vote it may have won in the aftermath of Bhutto's slaying. The PPP, the country's largest party, has alleged the delay is an attempt to give Musharraf's allies time to fix the result. Musharraf, a pivotal US ally in the "war on terror" used Wednesday's address to the nation to appeal for national unity, which he said was essential in fighting terrorism. But far from convincing a sceptical public that the security situation needed stabilising after riots that left nearly 58 people dead, the decision has reinforced the perception that the vote could end up a farce, analysts say. "The decision to postpone is a sign of weakness and the elections will not be viewed as credible," Najam Sethi, the editor of Pakistan's Daily Times newspaper, told AFP. "It was taken in disregard of the opinion of the opposition and was based on the recommendation of bureaucrats who owe their allegiance to the former government," he said.

Pakistan opposition wants better security ahead of elections

The country's main political parties confirmed they would resume the race to restore democracy here but said the government must ensure candidates are protected from the dangers posed by anyone determined to disrupt the polls.

"We would like the government to provide foolproof security to Sharif, including a bulletproof vehicle," said Ahsan Iqbal, a spokesman for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the party of two-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

"We will continue our election campaign but we are revising the party chief's programme of public engagements in view of the current security situation."

President Pervez Musharraf announced the postponement of planned January 8 elections until February 18 in his first major speech to the nation since Bhutto's murder a week ago plunged the nation into turmoil.

He also announced Wednesday that a team of investigators from Scotland Yard, expected by the weekend, had been invited to clear up confusion over how the two-time former prime minister died, amid widespread disbelief at the official version of her death.

The PML-N spokesman said the party was not deterred by the vote delay and was determined to wage a lengthy nationwide campaign despite security concerns.

"Although the elections are now more than a month away the delay will not cause any harm to the campaign of our party, which is determined to restore genuine democracy in Pakistan," Iqbal said.

The government had provided Bhutto with a bulletproof vehicle and police security but many of her supporters blame Musharraf for failing to stop the gun and suicide-bomb attack which killed her last Thursday in Rawalpindi.

Her October 18 homecoming from self-imposed exile saw nearly 140 people killed in a suicide bombing on her convoy in Karachi.

Sherry Rehman, spokeswoman for Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP), said her widowed husband and the party's de facto new leader, Asif Ali Zardari, would lead the campaign after its mourning period ended early next month.

"The party's co-chairperson Asif Zardari will address some major public meetings after February 7 all over the country," she said.

Farooq Naik, Bhutto's lawyer and top aide, said "the party will certainly demand foolproof security from the government" during the election campaign.

"We want the government to provide security to Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and other political leaders to the same level as President Musharraf," Naik added.

The postponement of the vote has been criticised as a ploy by Musharraf loyalists in the government to rob the PPP of any sympathy vote it may have won in the aftermath of Bhutto's slaying.

The PPP, the country's largest party, has alleged the delay is an attempt to give Musharraf's allies time to fix the result.

Musharraf, a pivotal US ally in the "war on terror" used Wednesday's address to the nation to appeal for national unity, which he said was essential in fighting terrorism.

But far from convincing a sceptical public that the security situation needed stabilising after riots that left nearly 58 people dead, the decision has reinforced the perception that the vote could end up a farce, analysts say.

"The decision to postpone is a sign of weakness and the elections will not be viewed as credible," Najam Sethi, the editor of Pakistan's Daily Times newspaper, told AFP.

"It was taken in disregard of the opinion of the opposition and was based on the recommendation of bureaucrats who owe their allegiance to the former government," he said.