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Bhutto resumes protest campaign Bhutto resumes protest campaign
(about 5 hours later)
Pakistani ex-PM Benazir Bhutto has left her Islamabad home for the first time since a brief detention order prevented her from leading a rally on Friday. Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has resumed her campaign against emergency rule, following the lifting of a detention order against her.
The opposition leader was due to meet foreign diplomats, party supporters and civil society leaders in the capital. She joined a rally by journalists against a partial news blackout, and called for a fresh wave of protests.
She has vowed to continue her campaign against emergency rule imposed a week ago by President Pervez Musharraf, calling on him to quit as army chief. But the former PM was stopped from meeting the dismissed chief justice, who remains under virtual house arrest.
The attorney general says emergency rule could be lifted within a month. On Friday she was briefly detained at home herself, and prevented from leading an opposition rally.
Malik Mohammad Qayyum said that the security situation was improving. President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency a week ago, blaming militant violence and interference by the judiciary.
President Pervez Musharraf imposed the measures last Saturday, blaming militant violence and an unruly judiciary. Under the measures, the Pakistani constitution was suspended, opposition supporters arrested, Supreme Court justices replaced, and mass public gatherings banned.
'Vague' words Curbs on the media
Ms Bhutto has urged Gen Musharraf to step down as chief of staff of the Pakistani army by 15 November, and to hold elections by mid-January. Ms Bhutto has strongly condemned the state of emergency.
Riot police surrounded the opposition leader's home on FridayOn Thursday Gen Musharraf pledged to hold parliamentary elections by 15 February - a month later than they were due. She called on Gen Musharraf to step down as army chief of staff by 15 November, and to hold elections by mid-January as planned.
I request all segments of the population to join us in the struggle for democracy Benazir Bhutto Musharraf v Bhutto Send us your comments
On Saturday the opposition leader was allowed to leave her home - although the detention order she received on Friday was initially due to remain in force for three days.
She met officials of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and briefly joined journalists protesting against media restrictions.
Ms Bhutto said she was pressing ahead with plans to lead a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad, beginning on Tuesday.
"I request all segments of the population to join us in the struggle for democracy," she said.
Ms Bhutto also tried to reach the Islamabad home of dismissed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry - which is surrounded by police - but officers turned her away.
The BBC's Chris Morris in Islamabad says his role remains significant and lawyers are continuing to hold demonstrations demanding his reinstatement.
'Too vague'
Meanwhile attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum said emergency rule could be lifted within a month, as the security situation in the country was improving.
General Musharraf initially imposed emergency rule because he feared the Supreme Court might uphold objections to his re-election as president, our correspondent says.
On Thursday Gen Musharraf pledged to hold parliamentary elections by 15 February - a month later than they were due.
He also renewed a promise to quit as head of the army, if and when the Supreme Court validated his recent re-election as president.He also renewed a promise to quit as head of the army, if and when the Supreme Court validated his recent re-election as president.
But Ms Bhutto dismissed his words as "vague" and "generalised". But Ms Bhutto dismissed the general's words as "vague" and "generalised".
A spokesman for her Pakistan People's Party on Saturday said she was pressing ahead with plans to lead a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad, beginning on Tuesday. The authorities placed her under house arrest on Friday to stop her from travelling from Islamabad to nearby Rawalpindi to lead a protest.
Ms Bhutto was placed under house arrest on Friday to stop her from travelling from Islamabad to nearby Rawalpindi to lead a protest.
The government banned the rally, citing fears of suicide attacks.The government banned the rally, citing fears of suicide attacks.
Thousands of opposition supporters, lawyers and human rights workers remain in custody and TV news channels are off the air.