I can't work with Musharraf, says arrested Bhutto

She demanded that Musharraf step down, dashing Western hopes that the two moderate leaders would form an alliance to confront strengthening Islamic extremists.

Her call, which could see Pakistan’s two main opposition parties joining, raised a new threat for Musharraf, a key US ally who faces growing pressure at home and abroad to end emergency rule and restore democracy.

It further complicated matters for Washington, which has criticised Musharraf’s recent crackdown on dissent, but sees him as a dependable partner in the fight against al-Qaida.

A senior US envoy heading to Pakistan is expected to repeat US calls for an end to emergency rule, which has led to thousands of arrests and a clampdown on the media.

In Washington, officials said deputy secretary of state John Negroponte, now on a four-nation West Africa tour, was expected in Pakistan on Friday.

“We continue to want to see elections move forward in a free, fair and transparent manner (and) we want to see the emergency decree lifted,” deputy state department spokesman Tom Casey said.

“We want to see all moderate political forces be able to work together.”

But Bhutto said she would no longer try to work with Musharraf.

“The international community needs to decide whether it will go with one man or the people of Pakistan,” Bhutto said from the house where she is being held in Lahore.

Musharraf says emergency rule is needed to curb political unrest that he says is hampering the government’s fight against Taliban-and al-Qaida-linked militants in the country’s north west along the border with Afghanistan.

Critics say the November 3 emergency decree was a cover to oust independently-minded judges who had cut back Musharraf’s powers. They call his move outright martial law since authorities now have unchecked power to detain opponents and military courts can try civilians for treason.

Bhutto, a secularist who has served as prime minister twice, is trapped in a padlocked house in Lahore, surrounded by thousands of riot police, trucks loaded with sand and a row of metal barricades lined by barbed wire. Police said she would be kept there for seven days.

Authorities imposed the detention to block her from staging a protest procession to the capital Islamabad. The march went ahead but was quickly stopped by police and security forces also clashed with anti-government protesters in other cities.

Bhutto said thousands of her supporters were rounded up and called the crackdown the “breaking point” in her relations with Musharraf.

“I’m calling for General Musharraf to step down, to quit, to leave, to end martial law,” she said in a phone call with a group of journalists.

“Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country. We cannot afford this kind of chaos and instability.

“I could not serve as prime minister with General Musharraf as president. I wish I could.”

Musharraf said Bhutto “has no right” to ask him to resign, and, in an interview with The New York Times yesterday, said she has an exaggerated view of her popular support.

“Let’s start the elections and let’s see whether she wins,” Musharraf said.

Bhutto said she would work to forge a broad opposition alliance including Sharif, a long-time rival and former prime minister who shares her desire to end military rule.

Sharif attempted to return to Pakistan in September to prepare his party for the elections, but he was immediately deported despite a Pakistani Supreme Court ruling that he could stay.

Speaking from exile in Saudi Arabia, Sharif welcomed Bhutto’s comments and urged opposition parties to unite against Musharraf, to “fight dictatorship”.