Musharraf Meets with Exiled Pakistani Leader

Embattled Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf met with exiled opposition leader Benazir Bhutto yesterday in Abu Dhabi to rally support, sources tell CNN. The two leaders haven’t spoken since Musharraf seized power in 1999, but their reps have been talking for months.  Musharraf hopes to hang on to the presidency but may have to cede his duties as army chief.

Bhutto, a former prime minister, could return to that post as part of an alliance with Musharraf, one expert suggested, providing him with support in the parliament. Musharraf, a key US ally against Islamic extremism, has been considering holding presidential elections, but the expert warns that if he “rigs or cancels” them, “Pakistan could explode.” (More Pervez Musharraf stories.)