Democracy 'best memorial to Bhutto'

Mr Brown used an article for the country's Daily Jang newspaper to say a transition to democracy would be the best memorial to assassinated party leader Benazir Bhutto.

He said free and fair elections would represent the "single biggest obstacle" to terrorists.

"A strong, representative democracy in Pakistan will defeat terrorism and extremism, show the path to a more stable, prosperous future, and stand as a lasting memorial to the life's work of Benazir Bhutto. We owe it to her memory to strive together to achieve that goal," he wrote.

Ms Bhutto's party has decided to contest the elections after installing her only son, 19-year-old Oxford law student Bilawal, as its new chairman.

He said: "My mother always said: democracy is the best revenge."

He is will leave day-to-day control in the hands of his father, Asif Ali Zardari, while he completes his degree.

With the other main opposition party agreeing to ditch a boycott of the poll and the ruling party confirming it would take part, the chances of it going ahead as planned appeared better.

Violent clashes which have claimed dozens of lives and caused tens of millions of pounds of damage across the country were also said to have eased.

Ms Bhutto was killed when shots were fired at her and a suicide bomber blew himself up as she left a pre-election rally, just weeks after returning from exile.