WASHINGTON, Dec 15: Pakis-tan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said that she remains open to working with President Pervez Musharraf if he holds fair and free polls in the country.

Her remarks, made in an interview to Voice of America radio, reflect a major departure from her earlier stance that she will not work with Mr Musharraf.

In the same interview, Ms Bhutto also indicated that she believed Mr Musharraf was capable of holding fair and free elections.

The president, she said, could still surprise people by conducting an honest vote, although she believed that was a remote possibility.

“At the moment the situation is not conducive to fair elections within Pakistan. But certainly, President Musharraf has taken some steps that surprised many people, including me.

“And that included his retirement as the chief of the army staff. So if he surprises us all by having a fair election that will be very welcome. But the way things are going today, that would be a very big surprise,” Ms Bhutto said.

Speaking to VOA by telephone, the PPP chief said she might still find it possible to cooperate with President Musharraf.

But, she added, that would depend on what happened in the Jan 8 elections. “It’s very difficult to say anything on this matter at this stage,” she said. “A lot will depend on the elections themselves and what the mood of the people is following the elections, because if the elections are rigged, it’s going to put Gen Musharraf on a confrontational course with all opposition parties.”

In an interview to the Washington Times earlier this week, Ms Bhutto had said that while she might form an alliance with other opposition forces, including Nawaz Sharif, a similar arrangement with Musharraf was no more possible. She had also ruled out any arrangement with pro-Musharraf political parties.