The Pakistani government has decided to drop corruption cases against former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who is self-exiled in London.
Ms Bhutto is due to meet party colleagues in London tomorrow to decide whether her party members will take part in a presidential election on Saturday, when President Pervez Musharraf hopes to win a new term.
"The government has agreed to withdraw corruption cases against Benazir Bhutto," Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said today.
Gen Musharraf earlier named his successor as army chief as over 80 opposition members of parliament resigned to protest against the president's bid to seek re-election.
Gen Musharraf looks set to win re-election on Saturday in votes by the two-chamber parliament and four provincial assemblies.
He has vowed that, if re-elected, he would quit as army chief before being sworn in for a new term by November 15th and would rule as a civilian leader.
The designation of Lieut-Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as his successor is the clearest indication yet that Gen Musharraf will follow through with his promise and give up his uniform.
Gen Kayani had been director-general of the military's main security agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, until last month.
Despite slumping popularity, Gen Musharraf's ruling coalition holds a majority in parliament, which is due to be dissolved next month before a general election due by mid-January.