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Bhutto Discloses Date for Return to Pakistan
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Musharraf might need Bhutto's help if he wants to hold on to power.
Presidential elections are due by Oct. 15, and although Musharraf has said he intends to run for another five-year term, his opponents have challenged his eligibility in the courts. The Supreme Court could disqualify him as early as next week because of his other job as army chief.
If Musharraf is able to close the deal with Bhutto, however, he might get an exemption that would give him a way around the Supreme Court.
The talks carry significant political risk for both sides. Some of Musharraf's advisers have urged him to declare emergency rule rather than agree to a deal with Bhutto.
"There's a group of people around General Musharraf who are fearful of democracy, who don't want democracy and who have tried to sabotage" the negotiations, Bhutto said.
Bhutto's own party, meanwhile, is split over the prospect of an agreement that could help Musharraf at a time when his popularity is sagging and the law seems to be against him.
The Pakistan People's Party is the nation's largest, and Bhutto remains popular, although some of the party's leaders worry that her public standing will be hurt if she associates herself with Musharraf. A recent opinion poll conducted by the U.S.-based bipartisan group Terror Free Tomorrow found that 38 percent of Pakistanis have a favorable view of Musharraf, compared with 63 percent for Bhutto.
The United States has been quietly pushing the deal, hoping that an alliance of moderate leaders could help in the battle against a growing Islamic insurgency in Pakistan that has intensified its attacks in recent months.
