KARACHI, Feb 18: PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari has said that the element of violence in the peaceful protests against blasphemous sketches has deliberately been added to the popular uprising against General Pervez Musharraf to frighten the democratic world.

Senator Zardari, who is undergoing medical treatment in the United States after suffering heart attack in Dubai last year, said he was perturbed to hear about the violence in the country where the public anger against the dictatorial regime was evolving into a popular anti-Musharraf movement.

In his statement, issued by the media cell at the Bilawal House on Saturday, Mr Zardari maintained that denial of democratic rights, military operation in Balochistan, Waziristan and Northern Areas, together with the price-hike, unemployment, and controversial projects, had already created a popular public anger against the Musharraf government. “However, the regime wants to divert the wrath to the international community under a pre-planned manner,” he added.

He observed that the peaceful protests against blasphemy were natural but the arson, loot, plunder and violence appeared unnatural. It was the ‘arsonist battalion’ which was pushed into action to pose a grave threat to the West and the United States.

He asked the regime to allow peaceful political activities to all, and warned it against penetrating violence in the peaceful protests.