Bhutto welcomes Sharif's return

Karachi: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto welcomed rival Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan on Sunday. Bhutto said his return will energise the country's political process.

"We welcome Nawaz Sharif's return to the country, it will contribute positively to the political scene," she said.

Bhutto submitted her nomination papers for the January 8 election on Sunday, though she refused to comment on whether her party would take part in the election or not.

She filed the nomination papers a day after an opposition alliance, the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), announced a boycott of the polls if the government did not lift emergency in four days.

Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is not part of the APDM, but the Nawaz Sharif faction of the Pakistan Muslim League is a member and has agreed to the boycott the polls.

The Election Commission of Pakistan said Bhutto filed the nominations papers for seats reserved for women.

Larkana battle

She is also expected to file nominations papers today to contest elections in her hometown and PPP stronghold, Larkana, in the Sindh province, party sources told Gulf News.

Ghinwa Bhutto, widow of Benazir's brother Murtaza, is likely to challenge Benazir Bhutto in the election. Murtaza was killed in Karachi in a clash with police while her sister was the country's prime minister. Ghinwa leads her own faction of the PPP, which was founded by Murtaza.

Bhutto's party is yet to decide on boycotting the polls, though many political observers feel it is unlikely, and that the PPP will contest the elections.

The party has already allowed candidates to file their nomination papers ahead of Monday's deadline for registration.

"We should not leave the field empty," she told reporters after filing her nomination papers on Sunday. But she added that a final decision was yet to betaken on the boycott.