Pakistan govt to grant amnesty to former premier Bhutto: minister

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2007

ISLAMABAD (AFP) — Pakistan's government will grant an amnesty to Benazir Bhutto on corruption charges, meeting one of the former premier's main demands for a power-sharing deal, a cabinet minister said Tuesday.

Two-time prime minister Bhutto has vowed to return to Pakistan on October 18 after living in self-imposed exile in London and Dubai since 1999 because of the allegations against her.

"The government has agreed to grant an indemnity on cases against Benazir Bhutto," Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, a close confidant of President Pervez Musharraf, told AFP.

"The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

"The meeting decided to withdraw the cases against Benazir Bhutto."

Senior government officials said the...