11 October 2004	Monday	25 Shaban 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Former prime minister and chairperson of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto has denounced the "harassment and political victimization" of Babar Awan advocate and called for an end to it.

Senior advocate and PPP leader Babar Awan is also defence counsel of Asif Ali Zardari in a number of cases. He has also been in the forefront of lawyers struggle against the 17th constitutional amendment and General Musharraf's retention of the military uniform.

Soon after the acquittal recently of Mr Zardari in the Steel Mills reference, Mr Awan became the target of the state agencies and tax department which issued him notices in a settled case, says a party press release.

"The hounding of Babar Awan is political victimization and must be stopped," Ms Bhutto said in a statement on Sunday. She said it was an old tactic of the authoritarian regimes to pressure political opponents through fake tax notices, midnight knocks, threatening phone calls and letters and fictitious criminal cases to browbeat them into winning their support.

The former prime minister also urged the human rights and professional bodies of the lawyers to take notice of it. She also directed the foreign liaison committee of the party to bring the matter into the attention of international human rights bodies.