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(AP) - Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
will not be allowed to hold a protest procession across Pakistan
because it will violate a ban on political rallies under the state
of emergency, a government spokesman said Monday.

      Bhutto and other opposition members threatened earlier to
boycott upcoming parliamentary elections unless the restrictions
imposed by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf come to and end and he
resigns as army chief. 

Musharraf said the vote would take place in
mid-January, but critics say with the state of emergency, elections
will be neither free nor fair.

Bhutto was due to depart from the eastern city of Lahore on
Tuesday morning for the capital, Islamabad. The journey was
expected to take about three days, and her party said thousands of
supporters were expected to join her en route.

      "All processions, rallies, political gatherings at present are
outlawed," Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azim told The
Associated Press. "So if she breaks the law then obviously she
will not be allowed to do it."

Gallery

Unrest in Pakistan

Unrest

The political crisis in Pakistan took another turn Monday, as the government prevented former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from holding a  procession across the country to protest the government of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

The crisis in Pakistan

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