ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who postponed elections last weekend, said elections will be conducted before Feb. 15, it was reported Thursday.
Musharraf's setting an election deadline comes after his declaration of martial law threw parliamentary elections in doubt and drew international criticism, CNN reported.
"We think it is a good thing that President Musharraf has clarified the election date for the Pakistani people," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in reaction to Musharraf's announcement.
U.S. President George Bush said Wednesday he had a 20-minute phone conversation with Musharraf during which he encouraged the Pakistani president to step down as military leader.
Meanwhile, Pakistani police arrested hundreds of members of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's opposition party Thursday and Bhutto went into hiding. Bhutto had called for members of her Pakistan People's Party to demonstrate Friday in Rawalpindi.
Farzana Raja, a party spokeswoman, told Voice of America that more than 1,000 party supporters were being held.
"For that reason, the main leadership and office bearers have gone underground (into hiding) and they are not available to the police so they can't arrest them," Raja told the broadcaster.
