ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Pakistani officials agreed Tuesday to drop corruption charges against exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
The decision by the Pakistan Cabinet cleared a path for Bhutto’s return to Pakistan and a possible power-sharing agreement with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who faces re-election this month.
Such a deal would help shore up Musharraf’s power base in Pakistan, which is considered a vital U.S. ally against al-Qaida and other fundamentalist Muslim groups.
CNN reported that Musharraf Tuesday named a successor to his role as head of the army, which was another condition Bhutto demanded before she would agree to an alliance with his regime.
There was no immediate announcement on when Bhutto might return; however parliament is to elect a new president on Oct. 15.
