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Benazir, Sharif sign 'charter of democracy'

      London: Former Pakistan Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif have signed the "charter of democracy" here to strengthen their alliance against President General Pervez Musharraf. Terming the signing as a "historic moment", Benazir said the charter covers topics on how to limit the Pakistan military's role in national politics and a need to ensure a clear chain of command over the country's nuclear arsenal. "This is a historic moment. We believe that the task ahead for Pakistan is a gigantic one ... It is very important for us to work together," said Benazir. She further said: "We believe that terrorism and militancy are a direct by-product of military dictatorship, successive military dictatorships that have subverted the popular will of the people of Pakistan".

     Sharif, however, said that the Opposition should take part in the next year's elections only if they are held under a neutral caretaker government. Benazir's PPP and Sharif's PML (N) and several other parties have formed the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and are demanding free and fair polls in 2007, which they have said, cannot be possible as long as Musharraf is in power. They are also opposed to Musharraf retaining the title of President and Chief of the Army Staff, and have said that retaining both posts is unconstitutional. The Musharraf regime has however, dismissed the growing alliance between Benazir's Pakistan Peoples Party and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) as irrelevant. Meanwhile, Sharif has also asked the US to stop backing Musharraf and said that if Washington could preach democracy in Iraq and elsewhere, then it should not support a uniformed President in Pakistan.