ISLAMABAD, 11 October 2007 — President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s yesterday reportedly urged former Premier Benazir Bhutto to delay her return to Pakistan, a demand which was not likely to be accepted by her party.

Musharraf in a recorded interview aired by Pakistan’s ARY news channel yesterday urged Benazir to delay her return to Pakistan until he overcomes a major legal challenge to his rule.

Benazir, who fled Pakistan into self-imposed exile in 1999 to avoid arrest in cases over alleged corruption during her two governments in the late 1980s and early 1990s, has said she would return on Oct. 18 to contest parliamentary elections due in January.

In his remarks, Musharraf said Benazir should wait for the court verdict, although he clarified that his government had no plan to arrest her even if she ignored his suggestion. “I would say she should not come before” the court verdict, he said adding “she should come later, (after Oct. 18).” When asked how would he react if the court disqualified him, he said “we will cross the bridge when we reach it.” Under Pakistan’s constitution, Musharraf can remain in power until Nov. 15.

The government said earlier yesterday Benazir would be given extra security on her homecoming and she has been allowed to import a special bulletproof car. Benazir’s opposition Pakistan People’s Party has requested police protection for its leader.

The move follows a reported threat by a pro-Taleban militant leader from Pakistan’s troubled tribal belt to kill the Western-friendly, Oxford-educated Benazir in a suicide attack.

“We will provide her security and we expect her representative to discuss the arrangements with the Interior Ministry authorities,” Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told AFP.

Sherpao said the government had already given Benazir permission to bring a bulletproof car into the country for her use.

President Pervez Musharraf agreed last week to give Benazir, 54, an amnesty on the corruption charges that drove her into exile, in a prelude to a likely power-sharing deal between the two.

Musharraf swept a presidential election on Saturday but must await a Supreme Court verdict on the legality of the vote. Benazir’s support in Parliament would be vital if he plans any constitutional changes in the event of a verdict against him.