Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, vowed that she would go “back to basics” and invoke her late father’s name to win her way back into power, in an interview with UK newspaper The Guardian’s Sunday edition The Observer. Bhutto said her campaign would be inspired by the old slogan of her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – “food, clothing, shelter”. “Under my leadership, the PPP will bring moderation, democracy and the basics that the nation’s poorest need,” she said. “We represent the underprivileged, the peasants, women, young people, the minorities, all those who have been neglected by elite governments.”
Bhutto confirmed talks with representatives of President General Pervez Musharraf. “Pakistani politics is a rollercoaster ride,” Bhutto told The Observer. “We were 80 percent there, then negotiations stalled, then we started off again. My return will take place irrespective of the dialogue process.”
“I am doing this for the Constitution, not for personal benefit,” Bhutto said. “If the people of Pakistan want me there and want to trust me with the leadership of my country it will be a great honour to accept it,” she added. According to the newspaper, Pakistani commentators have not greeted the news of the return of Sharif and Bhutto with any notable enthusiasm.