Mumtaz Bhutto's arrest sparks protests in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, a cousin of late PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was on Saturday arrested for allegedly ordering his supporters to attack the office of a Sindhi newspaper, sparking protests in several cities of Pakistan.

The arrest of Bhutto, the leader of the Sindh National Front, sparked protests by hundreds of his supporters in several cities in southern Sindh province, including Larkana, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Ratodero, Naudero, and Kamber-Shahdadkot.

Bhutto was arrested from his village Mirpur Bhutto, located near the ancestral village and mausoleum of the Bhutto family at Garhi Khuda Baksh. He was later taken to Karachi to be interrogated for allegedly ordering his workers to attack the office of a Sindhi newspaper.

At the time of his arrest, Bhutto said he had been denied justice by the PPP-led government. He said there was dictatorial rule in the country but he would not surrender to the tyranny of dictators.

The situation in many cites in Sindh province was tense after Bhutto's arrest. His supporters organised rallies and burnt tyres on the roads. Police baton charged protesters who tried to prevent authorities from flying Bhutto from Sukkur to Karachi.

Bhutto's son Amir Baksh Bhutto called for a strike across Sindh tomorrow to protest the arrest of his father. Amir told a news conference.