ISLAMABAD, April 7: Leader of opposition in the Senate Senator Raza Rabbani has accused the government of political victimization and bifurcating four districts in Sindh including the home district of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto. He was talking to the local newsmen at the PPP Secretariat here on Thursday. Raza Rabbani condemned the continued persecution of former National Assembly speaker Yousaf Raza Gillani and other party leaders and workers in Punjab and Sindh.

He said the government was marginalising the opposition parties, particularly the PPP. He mentioned the brutal lathi- charge of the PPP workers, including women, on December 21 when Asif Ali Zardari arrived at the Islamabad International Airport.

He said the airport was cordoned off and no parliamentarian was allowed to enter the airport premises.

He accused the government of bifurcating Hyderabad district on ethnic grounds to put the PPP at disadvantage in the local body elections.

He also condemned the harsh treatment being meted out to the ARD president, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, who was shifted to Lahore and was not even allowed to take essential medicines with him.

He also spoke of harassment of the Sindh Assembly Member Humaira Almani. He said MPA from Punjab Khalid Wattoo was forced to change his loyalties and join PML in December 2004.

Raza Rabbani said the house of Dr Azam Moazim, MPA from Punjab, was raided in January 2004 and he was arrested for possessing illegal weapons just to force him to change his loyalties.

He said the house of Qurban Ali Shah MNA in Mirpur Khas was fired upon in January 2004. He said water courses in the lands of Yousaf Talpur, MNA from Sindh, were being blocked to switch his loyalties.