The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Sukkur

Pakistan's opposition leaders fanned out across the country Monday, lashing out at President Pervez Musharraf and telling thousands of people at raucous political rallies to vote for change.

The Jan. 8 parliamentary election could be a crucial step in restoring democracy here after a six-week state of emergency ended on Dec. 15. It will also have deep implications for the future of Musharraf's administration, seen as a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism.

Former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who both returned from exile to lead their opposition parties' campaigns, have pledged to work together in hopes of loosening the former army chief's grip on power.

Speaking to 3,000 people in the town of Sukkur, in Bhutto's home province of Sindh, Sharif accused Musharraf of presiding over a worsening economy and sparking violent confrontations across the Islamic country.

"The country is soaked in blood and fire from Khyber to Karachi," said Sharif, who has been banned from running for office himself, but was addressing voters on behalf of his party's candidates.