est for at least another day, after the opposition leader deepened Pakistan's politicial crisis by demanding the resignation of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The government of U.S. President George W. Bush, meanwhile, said it was sending its No. 2 diplomat to Pakistan to urge the general to rescind emergency rule.
Authorities put Bhutto under house arrest on Tuesday for the second time since her return from exile, and a senior federal government official told The Associated Press that she was grounded until at least Thursday.
"The position for her will remain like this until at least tomorrow. Then the government will review what to do with her," the official said on condition of anonymity because the matter was politically sensitive and no decision had been taken to release her.
Bhutto said Tuesday that she was working to forge a partnership with Nawaz Sharif, the man overthrown as prime minister in a 1999 coup by Musharraf. She demanded that Musharraf step down, dashing Western hopes that the two moderate leaders would form an alliance to confront strengthening Islamic extremists.
Newspapers reported Wednesday that the followers of a pro-Taliban cleric in the Swat valley, a former tourist destination 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of the capital, had seized another town from the government.
Bhutto's call, which could see Pakistan's two main opposition parties joining, raised a new threat for Musharraf, a key U.S. ally who faces growing pressure at home and abroad to end emergency rule and restore democracy.
It further complicated matters for Washington, which has criticized Musharraf's recent crackdown on dissent but sees him as a dependable partner in the fight against al-Qaida.
Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was expected in Pakistan on Friday to underscore U.S. concerns about the situation, where rallies have been banned and independent TV news blacked out.
"We continue to want to see elections move forward in a free, fair and transparent manner (and) we want to see the emergency decree lifted," deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters in Washington.
"We want to see all moderate political forces be able to work together," Casey said.
