KARACHI, 14 April 2005 — Over 150 activists of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) were arrested in Punjab yesterday ahead of a scheduled return of the party’s top leader Asif Zardari from the Gulf, sources said.
Zardari, the husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was freed on bail in December after serving eight years in prison on corruption charges. Later, he left for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to meet with Benazir, who has lived there since 1999 to avoid arrest in corruption cases.
Since his release, he has emerged a prominent opposition figure in the PPP.
The arrests came a day after the PPP announced it would hold a big rally on Saturday in the eastern city of Lahore to welcome Zardari on his return from Dubai.
Yesterday, PPP spokesman Naveed Chaudhry claimed that police have arrested 150 party supporters in overnight raids in Lahore, the provincial capital, and elsewhere in Punjab.
“We condemn these arrests and will hold the rally according to the plans,” he said.
A senior police official, Tariq Salim Dogar, said they “detained only those who wanted to disrupt peace.” He did not say how many.
US Consulate Closed for Second Day
The US Consulate in the port city of Karachi remained closed for a second day yesterday after receiving a warning that militants planned to attack the building, officials said.
Americans were again warned to avoid the area around the consulate, which was hit by a bomb attack in 2002, and the nearby Marriott Hotel, US officials and a statement on the consulate’s website said.The announcement came hours before US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld arrived yesterday to hold talks with Musharraf, a key ally in Washington’s war on terror.
“Al-Qaeda will be a subject that we will be discussing,” Rumsfeld said ahead of his meeting with the Pakistani leader.
“Due to continuing security concerns the American Consulate in Karachi will remain closed Wednesday,” the statement said.
