September 24, 2007	Monday	Ramazan 11, 1428

NEW YORK, Sept 23: Frustrated with slow progress in talks with the government, the chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party warned General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday that failure to reach an “agreement” or a power-sharing deal might lead to an uprising in the country.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the former prime minister said: “It is up to the government to decide whether it wants a peaceful transition to democracy through free and fair elections or face people’s power.”

She again reminded that a ‘Ukrainian-style Orange Revolution’ was possible in Pakistan. Protests erupted in Ukraine in 2005 following allegations that the government had rigged elections and ended only after opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko took over.

Efforts to strike an understanding, Ms Bhutto said, were designed to achieve a “peaceful transition” to democracy and a stronger balance between the powers of the president and parliament.

“This is such a roller-coaster that one cannot be sure about the final outcome,” she said. “Musharraf is sincere, but there are some vested interests who do not want to see a peaceful transition from military rule to democracy.”