Release of political detainees urged

Published February 21, 2006

ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has condemned the arrest of political workers during the last few days as well as continued incarceration of political leaders.

“All those detained and incarcerated on trumped-up political charges must be released forthwith,” she said in a statement on Monday. A large number of political workers and leaders have recently been arrested, including PML-N MNA Khawaja Saad Rafiq, former federal minister and PPP leader Mir Baz Khan Khetran and Chaudhry Zamurrad Khan.

Ms Bhutto said the latest arrests of political workers and the continued incarceration of Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Bismillah Kakar and Peer Mukarramul Haq was ample proof that the government was pursuing a policy of political victimization instead of punishing the corrupt.—Our Reporter

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