ISLAMABAD, May 30: The People's Party Parliamentarians MPA from the Punjab, Farzana Raja, said the government had once again taken her spouse, Pir Mukarrum, in custody to allegedly force her to withdraw a petition filed against the National Accountability Bureau.

The PPP MPA, in a statement, said the NAB had filed another reference regarding 1996 telephone directory case against Mr Mukarrum, though the investigation had already been completed last year.

She said the NAB had asked for physical remand with "malafide intentions just to pressurize and harass her and her family." The MPA said Pir Mukarrum was a diabetic for the last 16 years and had developed neuropathy problem recently. He was to undergo an operation on May 10, but it was cancelled due to high sugar content in his blood, she added.

Ms Raja appealed to the international community to take notice of the 'cruel act' of this regime and save her husband's life. Meanwhile, PPP general secretary Raja Parvez Ashraf, MNA Zamurad Khan; MPAs Amir Fida Piracha, Ishtiaq Mirza, Azra Bano, Saima Bukhari, Sabiha Syed; PPP (Islamabad) Women's Wing president Nargis Faiz Malik, PYO leader Shaukat Swati and others party office-bearers have strongly condemned Pir Mukarrum's arrest and demanded his immediate release.