Benazir Bhutto, 54, served two terms as prime minister of Pakistan between 1988 and 1996. SPIEGEL spoke to her about a possible return from exile and how Musharraf’s policies have only helped the Taliban.
Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan and leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, has lived in exile for eight years. Now that President Pervez Musharraf’s authority is weakened, her chances of returning to power are greater than they have been for some time.
SPIEGEL: Pakistan cannot find peace. President Pervez Musharraf may lose power. He met with you in Abu Dhabi in late July. What did you talk about?
Bhutto: I cannot officially confirm this meeting, but we are discussing the return to democracy and the holding of elections in the near future.
SPIEGEL: You have been living in exile for eight years. You could probably only return home after the charges of corruption leveled against you have been dropped. The regulation prohibiting a third term as prime minister would also have to be eliminated. What did Musharraf say about that?
Bhutto: We spoke about a fair starting basis for all parties and about strengthening the parliament.
SPIEGEL: Musharraf has been more unpopular than ever since the siege of the Red Mosque. Is this your chance?
Bhutto: It is extremely sad that he is not enforcing law and order in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan or taking measures to eradicate terrorism there. His policy of cease-fires and peace treaties has only kept the Taliban alive and expanded their zone of influence. I want to give my compatriots a clear choice. Either they support extremism or they reject it decisively.
SPIEGEL: That sounds very simple. How can you achieve greater successes than Musharraf, who knows he has the United States by his side and who is therefore mockingly called “Busharraf” by many people?
Bhutto: It will indeed not be easy. But terrorism is the greatest danger — our country must not be Talibanized. I am confident that my compatriots will defend themselves against this danger.
SPIEGEL: Until now, you had rejected all talks with a president who wears a uniform.
Bhutto: I want to clarify once and for all that my party in fact cannot work together with such a head of state. We do not want military rule.
SPIEGEL: You have signed a charter with Nawaz Sharif, another former government member in exile, which is intended to pave the way to a return to democracy. Sharif considers any contact with Musharraf a breach of this agreement.
Bhutto: I take a different view. Our agreement does not prohibit contact with a military dictator, if that opens up a path back to normality. Sharif and I have formulated blueprints for the future. We are no longer rivals but rather partners, and we have a common goal. We are the most important players in the historic attempt to restore democracy.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,499633,00.html