18 April 2005	Monday	08 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 17: Opposition leader in the Senate and a leader of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), Mian Raza Rabbani, has said after police action against PPP workers and leaders in Lahore, his party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) would soon meet to decide whether to continue reconciliation talks with the government.

Speaking at a news conference along with MNA Fauzia Wahab, party leader Babar Awan and PPP spokesman Nazir Dhoki here on Sunday, Mr Rabbani said arrests of a large number of party activists and leaders and torture could affect the ongoing reconciliation process.

He alleged that the government wanted to control political parties through “state terrorism.” The whole country was turned into a police state before the arrival of Asif Zardari on April 16 and a massive crackdown was launched on the PPP throughout the country. He said the government had no respect for law and judiciary.

Mr Rabbani said the police subjected women MPAs Farzana Raja, Uzma Bokhari and Faiza Malik, MNA Naheed Khan and Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi to torture, so much so that some of them had to be taken to a hospital for medical aid.

Mr Rabbani was of the view that the action of the Punjab government would cause hatred in other provinces. He also condemned police action against the journalists who had travelled with Asif Zardari from Dubai to Lahore.

Babar Awan alleged that MNAs Sherry Rehman and Naheed Khan, Senator Safdar Abbasi and president of the PPP women wing, Lahore, Sajida Mir were kept in a private jail on Pakistan-India border. He said that Mr Zardari was considering to challenge the Punjab government’s actions in the high court. He said Mr Zardari would start his countrywide visit after his release from “illegal detention.”

Fauzia Wahab, while condemning the police behaviour, particularly with women leaders, demanded immediate release of all workers and leaders.