Benazir Bhutto launches campaign for Pakistan's elections

(24 Aug 2002) 1. Various of crowd in Trafalgar Square 2. Placards and demonstrators 3. Benazir Bhutto arrives 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan "My dear brothers and sisters, I thank you all for coming here and joining us in this historic Trafalgar Square to announce the beginning of the Pakistan People's Party election campaign. Pakistan People's Party is entering this campaign with a promise to bring peace to South Asia. I promise our youth that we will create the conditions in South Asia that can lead to progress and prosperity. It pains me that since the overthrow of the democratic government in 1996, poverty has increased in Pakistan. Retrenchment on a wide scale is taking place and insecurity is spreading." 5. Cutaway 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan "At this time the international community calls President Saddam Hussein a dictator and says that war is necessary to replace him. It must not forget that Pakistan also has a military dictatorship and the people of Pakistan are disenfranchised." 7. Various of Trafalgar Square and Mrs. Bhutto leaving the podium 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. A.M. Siddiqui, Supporter of President Musharraf " I am supporting President Musharraf" (Q: Why?) "Because he has saved the country. These people have stolen so much money from the country. You know the history of these people don't you? (Q: Do you think Mrs. Bhutto is corrupt?) "She is corrupt, her husband is corrupt!" 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Khawaja Shafique, UK President of the Pakistan People's Party "Well, as you can see today, we have gathered quite a few people here and this just shows how much support we do have and we are very proud of the people gathered here to listen to their beloved chairperson and their leader Benazir Bhutto." 10. Cutaway 11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Khawaja Shafique, UK President of the Pakistan People's Party "We are waiting for the outcome of our appeal to the High Court (of Pakistan) and then if that is successful she will return." 12. Wide of rally STORYLINE: Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto held a rally in London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday to gather support for her candidacy in the upcoming Pakistan elections. Mrs. Bhutto, who is in virtual exile from her country following convictions for failing to appear in court to answer corruption charges, spoke to a crowd of about a thousand, mostly supporters of her Pakistan People's Party. She addressed the crowd in Urdu and then in English, promising to bring prosperity and security to Pakistan. Bhutto has been banned from participating in the elections, but told her supporters she was not afraid of returning to her country despite the fact that police have said she will be arrested if she does so. She said Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf had warned her against taking such a step, reminding her to consider her children. Musharraf, who ousted Bhutto's successor Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup in 1999, has decreed that prime ministers who have served twice cannot run for a third term -- disqualifying both Bhutto and Sharif. Bhutto is also banned under another rule which prevents people convicted of crimes running for election. The former prime minister denies corruption charges pending against her, which she avoided facing when she left Pakistan. Though outnumbered substantially by PPP supporters, the crowd contained a number of dissenters and hecklers. One of these said that 'Bhutto and her husband were corrupt. Parliamentary elections are due to begin in Pakistan in October. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...