Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has been taken into protective custody in view of the threat of terrorist attacks at her proposed public rally, said Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad Friday.
The former information minister was commenting on reports of Bhutto's house arrest while talking to the private Geo TV.
He said that Bhutto had been asked to remain confined to her residence in the capital of Islamabad and not to lead the public rally to the nearby city of Rawalpindi due to security reasons.
Rashid said that the decision had been taken on information that a few terrorists had entered the city to sabotage the PPP leader's scheduled rally there.
On emergency, he said that it would be lifted soon after the decision of the Supreme Court on a petition about the re-election of President Pervez Musharraf.
After the top court's judgment to this effect, the assemblies would be dissolved, he added.
Islamabad Capital Territory Police have also denied Bhutto's house arrest.
"She is not under house arrest. Only the security has been enhanced," said Additional Superintendent of Police Aftab Nasir.
He said that more police had been deployed due to security reasons.
Bhutto is in her house and her staff and party leaders are allowed to meet her, Nasir said.
"Only the general public do not have an access to her and it isfor her security," he added.
When asked about the time span for security measures, he said, security cover will stay till the evening.
The PPP media center has also denied reports of Bhotto's house arrest.
"We have neither received any house arrest order nor any personnel approached us to convey this," said Nazir Dhoki, in charge of the PPP media cell. "We are going to take out our procession as scheduled. We shall take our procession to Rawalpindi."
Supporters of Bhutto, chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), planned to hold a rally in Rawalpindi, a city some 30kms south from Islamabad, against the state of emergency imposed last Saturday by President General Pervez Musharraf.
The Pakistani government has deployed some 6,000 police officers in Rawalpindi to prevent the rally.
Police Friday completely sealed off the venue for the protest in the garrison city adjacent to Islamabad.
Political gatherings have been banned under the emergency decree.
Saud Aziz, the Rawalpindi police chief, said that "under no circumstances" will the rally be allowed. He said: "The law will take its course against anyone who defies it."
PPP claimed that police had arrested 5,000 of its supporters since Wednesday to head off the major rally.
Source: Xinhua
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