Pakistan Rivals Meet Tomorrow to Mull Boycott

Pakistan's opposition leaders will meet tomorrow to discuss a possible alliance to topple Pervez Musharraf, the Times of London reports. Nawaz Sharif will visit Benazir Bhutto at her home, accompanied by Imran Khan and other opposition figures, in an attempt to persuade her to boycott January's parliamentary elections. Bhutto, who launched her campaign yesterday, is said to be on the fence.

The two-time ex-PM is currently in the troubled north, where she issued stern warnings about Islamic militants gaining control of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. But while Bhutto would rather not boycott next month's polls, she's also anxious not to become the democrat who props up Musharraf. Sharif told the Times that a boycott will work only if her party joins: "All democratic forces must move ahead together to win this battle." (More Pakistan stories.)