Islamabad, November 1
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto today left for Dubai to meet her family, barely two weeks after she returned to Pakistan from eight years of self-imposed exile.
A spokesperson of her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said Bhutto had left the port city of Karachi “for Dubai for a few days to meet her family.” The former Premier left for Dubai a day after telling reporters that she was postponing the visit as she feared that the Pakistan government would impose emergency during her absence.
Bhutto has said that she would return on November 8 and address a public meeting in Rawalpindi the next day.
Bhutto, who survived a suicide attack on her homecoming procession on October 18 that killed nearly 140 people and injured hundreds more, was accompanied by her aide Rehman Malik.
The 54-year-old former premier’s family had remained in Dubai when she returned to Pakistan after President Pervez Musharraf issued an ordinance to grant her amnesty in corruption cases.
There has been considerable confusion over Bhutto’s travel plans. Reports had suggested that she had originally planned to travel to Dubai yesterday.
Bhutto had said last night that the PPP would oppose any move by the government to impose emergency in the event of the Supreme Court striking down Musharraf’s re-election in uniform.
“The Supreme Court’s decision is being awaited by the people. We want the Supreme Court’s decision to be accepted irrespective of whether it is liked by any party,” she said.
— PTI
