Pakistan emergency 'to be lifted'

Riot police surrounded Ms Bhutto's home on Friday

Pakistan's attorney general has said the country's state of emergency could be lifted within a month.

Malik Mohammad Qayyum said the security situation was improving and he hoped it would improve further.

President Pervez Musharraf imposed the measures last week, blaming militant violence and an unruly judiciary.

The news came as former PM Benazir Bhutto was allowed to leave her home, a day after a temporary detention order prevented her from attending a rally.

She is expected to meet party workers and diplomats later on Saturday.

'Vague' words

Ms Bhutto has called on Gen Musharraf to end the emergency, step down as army chief by 15 November and hold elections by mid-January.

On Thursday Gen Musharraf pledged to hold parliamentary elections by 15 February - a month later than they were due.

He also renewed a promise to quit as head of the army, if and when the Supreme Court validated his recent re-election as president.

But Ms Bhutto has dismissed his words as "vague" and "generalised".

Thousands of opposition supporters, lawyers and human rights workers remain in custody and TV news channels are off the air.