Within hours of the dramatic announcement, the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto boarded a flight back to Pakistan from Dubai, where she had lived in self-imposed exile until last month.

Benazir Bhutto at a press conference after returning from Dubai
Benazir Bhutto had warned Gen Musharraf against imposing a state of emergency

The state of emergency shatters the proposed power-sharing deal between the president, Gen Pervez Musharraf, and Ms Bhutto, who hammered out the US-backed compromise during secret talks in the Gulf.

"Instead of moving to democracy, we are going backwards towards greater dictatorship," Ms Bhutto said last night, after arriving in Karachi, where she was escorted to her home under heavy police guard.

"I agree with [Gen Musharraf] that we are facing a political crisis, but believe the problem is dictatorship. I don't believe the solution is dictatorship."

She warned that dictatorship led to militancy. "The militants need the dictatorship; they feed off each other."


Ms Bhutto, who has previously warned Gen Musharraf against imposing a state of emergency, said the move could delay elections by "at least one to two years" and urged other countries to put pressure on Gen Musharraf to reverse his decision.

"My fear is that the forces of extremism want a two-year period in which they can expand their influence, drive Nato out of Afghanistan, and control Pakistan's destiny. If they get this two-year period, the whole world will be facing a very dangerous situation."

Ms Bhutto, who survived an assassination attempt last month, she said she knew there were dangers in her returning to Pakistan. "I am taking this risk for a much larger cause and that's the cause of my nation," she said.

"I plan to meet with other leaders of political parties and discuss a course of action to reverse the suspension of the constitution. We very much want elections to be held on schedule, but unless the constitution provisions that have been suspended are restored it's going to be very difficult to have fair elections."

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