Bhutto put under house arrest again ahead of anti-Mush march
Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was on Tuesday placed under house arrest for the second time in less than a week by Pakistan government.
By PTI |
LAHORE: Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was on Tuesday placed under house arrest for the second time in less than a week by Pakistan government to prevent her leading a "long march" from here to Islamabad against emergency rule imposed by President Pervez Musharraf.
Leaders of her Pakistan People's Party said Bhutto would go ahead with the nearly 300-km march despite the seige by hundreds of policemen who surrounded the home of party leader Latif Khosa, where the former premier is staying in this city, and arrest of hundreds of supporters in overnight swoops by police across Punjab province.
Though Bhutto, 54, was allowed to move around with a strong police escort in Lahore yesterday, about 600 policemen were deployed around Khosa's home in the posh Defence housing scheme after midnight. They set up a series of barricades while snipers were positioned on nearby rooftops.
Top Lahore city police official Aftab Cheema delivered a seven-day detention order for Bhutto but PPP leaders refused to accept it.
Cheema told reporters at the scene that the order had been shown to Bhutto's aide Naheed Khan and pasted on the door of the house.
Prison staff was also called in to detain Bhutto if necessary.
"The long march has definitely been banned and we will not permit it. The use of force will be avoided but the law will take its course," Cheema said.
Leaders of her Pakistan People's Party said Bhutto would go ahead with the nearly 300-km march despite the seige by hundreds of policemen who surrounded the home of party leader Latif Khosa, where the former premier is staying in this city, and arrest of hundreds of supporters in overnight swoops by police across Punjab province.
Though Bhutto, 54, was allowed to move around with a strong police escort in Lahore yesterday, about 600 policemen were deployed around Khosa's home in the posh Defence housing scheme after midnight. They set up a series of barricades while snipers were positioned on nearby rooftops.
Top Lahore city police official Aftab Cheema delivered a seven-day detention order for Bhutto but PPP leaders refused to accept it.
Cheema told reporters at the scene that the order had been shown to Bhutto's aide Naheed Khan and pasted on the door of the house.
Prison staff was also called in to detain Bhutto if necessary.
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"The long march has definitely been banned and we will not permit it. The use of force will be avoided but the law will take its course," Cheema said.
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