Bhutto Says She Will Contest Elections

Oct 20, 12:49 AM

Current Headlines: Former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto has told the BBC she will contest elections in January despite the Karachi blasts which killed 139 people.

In an interview reported Saturday, two days after her homecoming from eight years of self-imposed exile was overtaken by the Karachi horror, Bhutto said she will never surrender to militants.

She did not rule further such attacks in the future but said she and her Pakistan People's Party will fight in the January parliamentary elections. She had earlier claimed former army officials were behind the attacks.

She did not blame the government of President Pervez Musharraf.

She told the BBC she had been warned prior to her return to Pakistan of threats from four militant groups, but she still chose to return.

I've been having a party meeting and, believe me, the spirit amongst the party is one that I'm so proud of because they say we can't let the militants dictate to us what's going to happen, and that we have to try and save Pakistan by saving democracy. So my supporters are ready, she was quoted as saying.