By Muhammad Najeeb
Islamabad(IANS) : Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto was late Friday night freed from house arrest following intervention from the United States.
The Pakistan People Party (PPP) chief’s release was ordered directly by President Pervez Musharraf after the US voiced concern that the political turmoil in the country following the clamping of emergency and Bhutto’s arrest would undermine the Pakistani army’s fight against terrorism.
Bhutto was put under house arrest to prevent her addressing a massive party rally in nearby Rawalpindi against the imposition of emergency.
“Former Prime Minister Bhutto and other political party members must be permitted freedom of movement and all protesters released,” Gordon Johndroe, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said in a statement. According to PPP sources, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had called up Musharraf to express her concern over Bhutto’s arrest.
“We remain concerned about the continued state of emergency and curtailment of basic freedoms, and urge Pakistani authorities to quickly return to constitutional order and democratic norms,” said the statement by Johndroe, who accompanied President George W. Bush to the president’s Texas ranch for the weekend.
The statement came as hundreds of PPP workers were arrested and in Peshawar a suicide attack killed four people and injured several. Among the injured is the brother of ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)’s leader Amir Muqaam.
The US has said it is important for Pakistan’s future that moderate political forces be able to work together to put Pakistan back on the path to democracy.
Information Minister Muhammed Ali Durrani said that Bhutto was arrested because of the law and order situation and security issues. He referred to news reports saying that eight suicide bombers had entered the federal capital.
According to Durrani, Bhutto did not comply with the government directives on her arrival in Karachi on Oct 18, resulting in the loss of innocent lives in twin terror bombings and the government can not take another risk.
He said that Bhutto had been released and was free to move in the country.
Bhutto returned to the country after a reported deal with the military authorities under which all corruption charges against her were removed and cases pending against her in several courts were taken back by the government.