Benazir Bhutto Under House Arrest

Police in Pakistan have blocked former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from leaving her home in Islamabad and sealed off the capital and nearby Rawalpindi to stop a rally against emergency rule.

Ms. Bhutto made two attempts to leave her home to attend the rally, but failed to break through police barricades.

Speaking outside the house with supporters by her side, Ms. Bhutto repeated opposition demands that President Pervez Musharraf lift the state of emergency, resign as army chief and hold elections by mid-January.

Abidah Hussein, a top leader for Ms. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party,said supporters will not be intimidated and will besiege the capital to fight emergency rule.

In Rawalpindi, police clashed with several hundred protesters who tried to gather for the rally, defying a ban on public demonstrations.

Meanwhile, a suicide bombing killed at least four people at the home of a government minister in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Political affairs minister Amir Muqam was not hurt.

Muqam is the regional head of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League party and an ally of the president.

General Musharraf imposed emergency rule on Saturday, saying it was necessary to curb growing extremist attacks and judicial activism.

by VOA News

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