Bhutto to Enter Election, Sharif to Boycott

Pakistan's opposition is split on participating in January's parliamentary elections following Pervez Musharraf's promise to lift emergency rule. Benazir Bhutto's party has said that, despite heavy reservations, it will take part. But Nawaz Sharif told Reuters that he and his party will boycott unless the judges Musharraf purged are reinstated.

Bhutto is expected to unveil her party's manifesto later today. A united boycott could severely harm Musharraf's credibility, but so long as Bhutto and Sharif cannot agree, Musharraf will reap the rewards, said one analyst. "If the opposition gets divided the benefit goes to the government." (More Pakistan stories.)