BB rejects new Govt, doubts fair polls
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan people Party Chairperson and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto rejecting the caretaker government said Friday that she would continue her struggle against dictatorship in Pakistan and would not talk to President Gen Pervez Musharraf on any issue.
“We do not accept this government. It has committed treason by taking oath under Provincial Constitutional Order (PCO),” she said while addressing a press conference a day after she was set free after three days’ detention in Lahore.
“We demand that Musharraf take off his uniform. We want to see a neutral caretaker government which is acceptable for all opposition parties,” Bhutto said, adding that only such a government could ensure fair elections.
Following the dissolution of the lower house of parliament at the end of its five-year term late Thursday, President Musharraf Friday swore in a new cabinet headed by the chairman of the upper house, Mohammedmian Soomro. Benazir Bhutto said that she would continue her struggle against dictatorship in Pakistan and would not talk to the military ruler Pervez Musharraf on any issue.
“My dialogue with the government was to end dictatorship and restore democracy,” Bhutto said. She said that she held talks with the representatives of the military regime for about 18 months to restore democracy.
“But when martial law was imposed and constitution was torn apart, I decided to discontinue the talks,” she said.
“Life is very precious and gift of Allah,” Bhutto said. “It should not and cannot be wasted but when my country is in danger, when my countrymen are in danger, when there is no rule of law, when extremists are gaining ground, I am ready to risk my life.” She said that protests and long march is her right. “It’s right of every citizen, it’s right of every politician and I am exercising this right,” she said while talking about her plans for continuing protests. Talking tough against President Musharraf, she said: “These extremists are promoted and then killed by the same people. Everyone knows who is behind these extremists.”
She said that extremism was on the rise in the country. “First they took control in tribal areas, now they have captured Swat, they take over one village one day and another the other day,” Bhutto said while talking about the Islamic Movements activists in the North West Frontier Province.