Bhutto calls on Musharraf to resign

Speaking by telephone to a group of foreign journalists, Bhutto said she would turn her energies from negotiating with Musharraf, who is also chief of Pakistan's army, to uniting the fragmented opposition parties arrayed against him. She was placed under house arrest for the second time since Musharraf declared a state of emergency Nov. 3.

"Once I am out, I intend to build a broad-based alliance with a one-point agenda for the restoration of democracy and the rule of law," Bhutto said from Lahore, where she was prevented Tuesday from leading a pro-democracy procession to the capital, Islamabad, by hundreds of police toting assault rifles and thick bamboo rods. "We feel all the political forces should come together."

That is a tough challenge in Pakistan's fractious political environment, and even more so now that thousands of opposition party activists have been arrested.

But analysts said the participation of Bhutto and her Pakistani People's Party might tip the balance.

"The government has pushed all opposition parties to the wall," said Hasan Askari Rizvi, an analyst based in Lahore. "What Musharraf is doing is, he's saying, 'If you want to play politics, you have to work within my framework,' and that will not be acceptable to them. Now they are moving in that direction where they can work together."

For months, Bhutto had been trying to cut a separate power-sharing deal with Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup in 1999. Her repudiation of a potential agreement took many here by surprise.

"I think everybody today, when this statement came out, was taken somewhat by surprise, and very concerned," said a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Bush administration has backed a power-sharing arrangement as a way to forge an elected civilian government, bringing together Bhutto, a two-time prime minister, and Musharraf, whom the White House considers an "indispensable" ally in the battle against Islamic terrorists. The U.S. regards both leaders as pro-Western moderates.