Pakistan's election commission will decide on Tuesday whether to delay next week's parliamentary elections because of the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
Senior government and electoral officials told news agencies Monday the ballot will likely be postponed for at least several weeks.
Ms. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party - now led by her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, and their son, Bilawal - says it wants the elections to take place on January eighth as planned.
Pakistan's other main opposition party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, also wants the vote to go ahead as scheduled. During a news conference Monday, Mr. Sharif said his party will participate in the ballot, reversing an earlier decision to boycott.
U.S. officials have expressed concern about an indefinite postponement of the elections. A State Department spokesman, Tom Casey said it is essential that Pakistan's election commission name a specific new date if it delays the poll.
The United States was instrumental in bringing Ms. Bhutto back to Pakistan from exile in a push toward democracy.
Senior government and electoral officials told news agencies Monday the ballot will likely be postponed for at least several weeks.
Ms. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party - now led by her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, and their son, Bilawal - says it wants the elections to take place on January eighth as planned.
Pakistan's other main opposition party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, also wants the vote to go ahead as scheduled. During a news conference Monday, Mr. Sharif said his party will participate in the ballot, reversing an earlier decision to boycott.
U.S. officials have expressed concern about an indefinite postponement of the elections. A State Department spokesman, Tom Casey said it is essential that Pakistan's election commission name a specific new date if it delays the poll.
The United States was instrumental in bringing Ms. Bhutto back to Pakistan from exile in a push toward democracy.