ISLAMABAD, 17 April 2005 — Senior leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Zardari was detained and kept in house arrest briefly to prevent him from holding a public rally here yesterday. Several other PPP leaders were also arrested at the city’s airport.
Police boarded the airliner that brought home the husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto yesterday, detaining him and several aides to prevent them holding a rally.
The Geo TV channel, which had a correspondent traveling on private Pakistani airline Aero Asia said police boarded it after it landed and took Zardari into “protective custody.”
Zardari was taken from the airport and dropped at his home, even as between 100 and 150 opposition activists who had managed to evade a heavy police blockade of Lahore Airport were arrested after clashing with police. About 200 other protesters were arrested elsewhere in the city.
The detention of Zardari appeared to again dim hopes for political reconciliation in Pakistan. “Down with Musharraf! Long live Bhutto! Long live democracy!” activists at the airport shouted before they were baton-charged and then bundled away in police vans. Three or four were bleeding.
In recent days, party officials say thousands of activists from Benazir’s PPP have been rounded up around the country. The government had refused permission for PPP supporters to rally in Lahore and extended a temporary ban on gatherings of more than three people.
The planned rally was a carefully orchestrated bid by the opposition to boost the political profile of Zardari, who was freed on bail in December after eight years in jail on corruption charges, and Benazir’s party, marginalized during the five-year rule of President Pervez Musharraf.
Zardari had traveled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to visit his wife, who lives there in self-imposed exile to avoid arrest on graft charges.
As part of security measures, unauthorized gatherings of more than four people were banned, and on Friday authorities declared a “red alert” to prevent “any acts of terrorism” at Lahore and Karachi airports.
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the party officials and activists would soon be freed and denied claims Zardari had been arrested. He claimed the opposition, which had offered to pay the airfares of journalists who agreed to return with Zardari on the flight from Dubai, was intentionally trying to create problems.
“Police dropped him at his home in Lahore and he must be having his breakfast by now,” Sheikh Rashid said. “Asif Ali Zardari is a free person. He can go anywhere.”
Chief Minister of Punjab province Chaudhry Pervez Elahi told Geo television that police provided “security” for Zardari. “He said he is worried about his security, and we sent police to Lahore airport to safely drop him at his home on his request.”
PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said although police had not arrested Zardari, other party leaders who arrived with him from Dubai were taken into custody. Among those arrested was party President Mukhdoom Amin Fahim.
“I condemn the arrest of my supporters and party leaders and demand their release,” Zardari said.
“By not allowing me to hold a peaceful rally, the government has unmasked its face. They are dictators. There is a fascist government here, and I announce that our struggle for restoration of real democracy will continue,” he said.
Zardari vowed to lodge a court petition against the government of Punjab province and complained that about 70,000 supporters of his wife’s party had been detained to prevent them rallying to welcome him.
He said he still planned to hold a rally in the city in the next two days. “I will take out a rally whenever get the opportunity,” he said. “If I can’t do it today, I will do tomorrow.” Zardari condemned police for roughly dragging away his supporters, including some women.
ARY television reported that police at the airport manhandled journalists who traveled with Zardari from Dubai, snatching away their cameras. — Additional input from Associated Press
