‘Only political change can diffuse tension’

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto has blamed the Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf’s regime for b...

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto has blamed the Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf’s regime for bringing ‘‘disgrace, economic hardship and threat of Indo-Pak war’’ on the country and asked the people to unite for bringing about a ‘‘political change’’ which was the only viable solution to the hardships.

The self-exiled former Pakistan prime minister, while expressing deep concern over tensions at the Indo-Pak border, said the latest crisis and threat of a potentially nuclear war highlighted the need for a political change, the News has reported.

In a statement here yesterday, Bhutto said, ‘‘It is unfortunate that since the overthrow of the PPP government in 1996, cross-border pursuit, air space violation and threats of war have taken place. It is important to put in place the right policies which bring peace and honour to a country.’’ Bhutto said military hardliners had overthrown her PPP government in 1996 and ‘‘rigged the elections’’ that followed.

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Electoral rolls released

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission has come out with new electoral lists containing names of voters who have attained the age of 18 as on Jan 1, 2002.

A meeting of the EC was held on Friday under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Chief Justice (retd) Irshad Hasan Khan to discuss and review the lists after which it was decided to publish them for inviting objections and corrections from general public. (Agencies)

The PPP chairperson called upon all Pakistanis, including students, intellectuals, traders, farmers, military, judiciary, women, minorities, youth, government employees and labourers, to ‘‘unite and defeat the attempt to prolong the clique which brought disgrace, economic hardship and threat of war to the country.’’

SP leader Azam Khan walks out of jail after 23 months, hundreds of supporters welcome him

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Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who is facing multiple cases, walked out of the Sitapur jail today after 23 months. He was scheduled to be released early Tuesday morning, but it was delayed due to impending court proceedings. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Sitapur jail, waiting for the SP leader to walk out of prison.

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