Pakistan Getting into High Gear

Passions brim over in the first free elections in eleven years

The roar of more than 10,000 cheering voices vibrated in the air as the train pulled into view of Gujranwala, a farming and industrial center in the northeast state of Punjab. Red-black-and-green banners embossed with the arrow of the Pakistan People's Party (P.P.P.) fluttered overhead. The chant "Benazir, Prime Minister!" crescendoed as Benazir Bhutto, 35, stepped onto the platform. Holding high the party's manifesto, the candidate declared, "You have a chance to decide the future. Vote for the arrow aimed at the heart of injustice."

At whistle-stops across the country, similar scenes were played out last week as candidates for the...

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