KARACHI, Jan 24: Brushing aside reports of the so-called red warrants issued allegedly by the Interpol for the arrest of Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari, frontline PPP leaders termed it yet another exercise of misleading people and political victimization by the military-led regime.

This was stated by the frontline PPP leaders at a news conference held at Bilawal House on Tuesday. PPP Sindh President Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Secretary General Nafees Siddiqui, Central Information Secretary Taj Haider, N.D. Khan, Rashid Rabbani, Rafiq Engineer and Waqar Mehdi were also present during the press conference.

They said: “It is baseless, concocted and part of character assassination campaign of the party leadership.”

Qaim Ali Shah and Nafees Siddiqi urged the newspapers, who published this “baseless” report to publish the denial as the officials of the State Department of America and Interpol expressed their ignorance about warrants of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. They accused the regime’s intelligence agencies for the propaganda campaign against PPP leadership and warned that the people and party activists and supporters were very angry.

They pointed out that the government had deliberately portrayed a scenario as if Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari were fugitive in the eyes of the law, which was contrary to the fact.

It was pointed out that Interpol had its headquarters in Paris and whenever any country made such a request it had to be approved by its assembly. It dealt with drug related and financial irregularities.

They rejected the government’s contention that PPP leaders were fugitives and pointed out that Ms Bhutto had gone out with court’s permission and the government was aware of their address. In her absence abroad, she was tried in SGS Cotecna case. Supreme Court had admitted the application and her conviction was set aside. She had not been declared a fugitive by the SC. They also pointed out that in PIA case also the Supreme Court had exempted her from personal presence. Ms Bhutto, they pointed out, was also acquitted in that case.

Stating that it was another move by the regime against the voice of dissent and the main political threat to usurpers, they claimed that same was the case when Ms Bhutto was asked to appear before a Swiss Magistrate. The government had floated the story that she had been convicted by the Swiss Court, which was not true at all.

They said the matter was still pending and no date had been fixed by the Swiss Magistrate. Swiss authorities had objected to the appearance of Hasan Waseem Afzal from the National Accountability Bureau on behalf of the government of Pakistan, because of constraints of law. They said that the government always knew her whereabouts and to describe her as a fugitive was a malafide move.

Regarding the issue of red warrant against Asif Ali Zardari, they advanced similar argument and said that he had gone through tremendous hardships during eight years of detention. After his release on bail, the government had itself issued him the passport. He travelled abroad a few times, but in April 2005 he suffered heart attack for which he was to be operated upon. He had been advised by his doctor to take rest till March 2006. They pointed out that Mr Zardari, who had to be moved to New York in that connection had himself written to the court, informing the reason for his inability to travel. So at no point in time the government was unaware of the whereabouts of Ms Bhutto or Mr Zardari.

They claimed that it was only floated after Ms Bhutto had reportedly discussed the possibility of herself contesting the Senate elections and pressing for the early general elections.

PPP leaders also asked the newspapers management not to submit to government’s pressure and offered party’s support for such newspapers. They also advised the newspapers management to admit this mistake and publish regret over it as the party verified that the report was not correct neither any such action was taken against PPP leadership.

Qaim Ali Shah said that there were no serious nature cases against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari and they were acquitted in many cases, which were politically motivated. Mr Shah asked as to why the government did not approach the Interpol against those terrorists and criminals who were living abroad and were wanted in criminal cases.

Nafees Siddiqi said that Benazir Bhutto left the country with the permission of the court while courts also bailed Asif Zardari who was under treatment in the United States. He said that the government had spent billions of rupees in Swiss case but they failed to prove the charges.