Source: bbc (news.bbc.co.uk)

The house of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been surrounded by police, hours before her party is due to hold a mass rally.

The house of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been surrounded by police, hours before her party is due to hold a mass rally. She has not been formally placed under house arrest, and police say the measure at her residence in Islamabad is for her own safety.
Several thousand of her supporters are reported detained ahead of the rally planned to be held in Rawalpindi.
Rallies are outlawed under the current emergency rule in Pakistan.
There have also been warnings that the protest, due to start at 1300 (0800GMT) could be targeted by suicide bombers.
It is still unclear whether Ms Bhutto is actually under house arrest.
“She’s free to go anywhere but if she tries to go to the rally she’ll be stopped,” said an anonymous government official quoted by Reuters news agency.
On Thursday, President Pervez Musharraf pledged that he would hold elections by 15 February, but Ms Bhutto dismissed his words as “vague”.
She also called for General Musharraf to give up his role as army chief.
“This is yet another vague announcement. We want him to hang up his uniform by 15 November,” said Ms Bhutto…………

Editorial Note: Interesting implications:

1. Benazir was the one who lent legitimacy to Musharraf initially by agreeing to a power sharing deal

2. Leaves Musfarraf with very few exit options - Which means either he is oblivious to the public reaction or is too hard headed to raise the white flag and exit from politics

3. PPP workers are the few that have been hands off for the cops, but with that changing - are the deeply divided opposition parties finally going to get their act together?

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Tags: Benazir, Emergency