For an entire day the army prevented her from attending demonstrations. Throughout the country the police crack down on rallies and arrest democratic activists, while suicide attacks threaten protests. Bhutto urges Musharraf to call elections. A protest march proposed for November 13th.

Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Former premier Benazir Bhutto was “freed” overnight after being “held captive” by soldiers for the entire day to prevent her attending anti-government rallies in Rawalpindi. A spokesman for her Pakistan’s Peoples Party (Ppp), has announced that a protest march has been organised for November 13th in Lahore.  Bhutto has also called on Musharraf to give up his command of the army by November 15th and go ahead with parliamentary elections in mid January, as was previously programmed.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, a close ally of General Musharraf, said Bhutto was restrained from leaving her house, because of the “very serious and credible security threat of an attack on her”.  Meanwhile the police yesterday carried out arrests on numerous PPP members who tried to near themselves to her house.

Yesterday’s Rawalpindi rally was countered by over 6 thousand police.  The police claimed to have stopped 8 suicide bombers.  Yesterday in Peshawar, 3 people died in a suspected suicide attack on home of the Minister for Political Affairs Amin Mugam.

Two days ago the president announced that elections will be held on February 15th but Bhutto described his words as “vague” and “generic”.  Today the General Attorney Malik Mohammad Qayvun announced that the security situation is “improving” however without giving precise indications.

The state of emergency was imposed on November 3rd to counter the risk of “attacks and disorder” but so far has only served to allow the arrest of thousand of members of the political opposition and suspend non state media.

 

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• musharraf
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• arrests