PAKISTAN: Pakistan's ruling party leader says Karachi carnage will not affect upcoming the election schedule

Pakistan's ruling party secretary general said that a suicide attack on the motorcade of former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Thursday night (October 18) would not affected or change the schedule of upcoming elections. The blast killed that killed at least 139 people. "I do see an impact, an adverse impact on Pakistan's electoral campaign. Given the elections are scheduled in the early part of 2008. Because, now there will be difficulty in holding mass rallies," said Mushahid Hussain Sayed. Bhutto said on Friday (October 19) she would carry on her struggle for democracy, despite the attack. Her arrival marked the first time in eight years that she landed on home soil after being in self-imposed exile. Sharafat, a shopkeeper in Islamabad's crowded market, said that elections should be held as per schedule. "Elections should not be postponed and should be held in a democratic way. It is the right of the people to vote in an independent manner. The elections should be held in a transparent way," said Sharafat. The 54-year-old former prime minister returned on Thursday to lead her Pakistan People's Party into national elections due in January that are meant to mark a transition from military to civilian-led democracy. Bhutto said she had known an attempt on her life was coming and she expected more. She also alluded to enemies in government who were spreading militancy and plotting against her. Mushahid said that the Karachi incident would leave a negative impact on the way election campaigns would be carried out. "I don't think that this tragic incident of last night will derail the electoral process. And it should not be derailed in any circumstances. What will happen is that the election campaign can be affected, the manner of campaign, holding rallies, holding procession. But the date and schedule of elections will not be affected, will not be changed," said Mushahid. Travelling in a truck reinforced to withstand bomb attacks, Bhutto was unhurt by one of the deadliest bomb attacks in her country's violent history. The attack underscored the turbulence which lay in store for Pakistan ahead of the elections but it remains unclear how the assassination attempt will affect a possible power-sharing deal between Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf. The grenade and suicide attack struck Bhutto's motorcade as it edged through hundreds of thousands of well-wishers who had stayed up late into the night to welcome the two-time prime minister back to Pakistan. The attack took place shortly after midnight, around 10 hours after Bhutto arrived from Dubai. Bhutto said there were also shots fired at her vehicle during the attack, while a man armed with a pistol and another wearing a suicide belt were arrested earlier. There was no claim of responsibility. The government said police were investigating whether the attack had links to tribal regions bordering Afghanistan which have become hotbeds of support for al Qaeda and the Taliban.

ITN Source | October 20, 2007

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