Pakistan gears up for election

Musharraf to return today

After the first elected civilian Government in Pakistan completed its five year term, the nation is in election mode.

Political parties are gearing up for getting popular support to form new government.

Imran Khan’s party Tehrik-e-Insaf is projecting him as a hopeful for the post of Prime Minister.

His rally on Saturday at the Minar-e-Pakistan drew a large crowd including people from the middle class and youths.

Kan and his party are trying to capitalize on widespread discontent with traditional parties including Pakistan People’s party and Pakistan Muslim Laegue-Nawaj.

Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Sunday left for home after more than four years in self-exile to take part in the historic elections in May despite a Taliban death threat.

Musharraf, 69, announced that he would fly into the southern Pakistani city of Karachi at 1 pm and address a gathering in the evening despite authorities scrapping permission for a public meeting due to security concerns.

In a message posted on Twitter shortly before he boarded a flight from Dubai to Karachi, Musharraf wrote: "I will arrive in Karachi today, March 24th, at 1pm & address a public rally at the airport at 5 pm in the evening."

The former President, who is set to end over four years of self-exile, tweeted a photo of him leaving his Dubai home, clad in a white shalwar-kameez.

He later tweeted another photo of himself "settled in my seat on the plane to begin my journey home".

Hours before his return, authorities in Karachi cancelled permission for a meeting that was to be addressed by Musharraf at a ground near the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

Sindh police spokesman SSP Imran Shaukat said that the no-objection certificate for the public meeting to be addressed by Musharraf had been withdrawn due to "serious security threats" to the former President.

The police had officially informed Musharraf's party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, about the decision, Shaukat said.

"The APML has agreed to cancel the public meeting," he said.

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan said it had formed a squad of suicide bombers to target Musharraf on his return.

In another message posted on Twitter, Musharraf said Pakistan "must crush terrorism and extremism".

Musharraf left Pakistan in early 2009 after a string of civil and criminal cases were filed against him in courts across the country.

Several of the cases related to steps he had taken during the emergency he imposed in late 2007.

Two courts have issued arrest warrants for Musharraf in connection with the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto and Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti.

Musharraf obtained pre-arrest bail from the Sindh High Court ahead of his return.