Carefully worded press statement delivered by Gordon Johndroe, Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Press Secretary, doesn't mention BB by name but makes it clear the White House is not happy with her house arrest:
We join the people of Pakistan in their continued concern about the state of emergency and curtailment of basic freedoms. We urge Pakistan's authorities quickly to return to constitutional order and democratic norms. All parties in Pakistan agree that free and fair elections are the best way out of the current situation there. Free and fair elections require the lifting of the state of emergency. We, therefore, continue to call for an early end to that state of emergency, and the release of political members and peaceful protestors who have been detained. We also continue to call on all sides to refrain from any violence, and to work together to put Pakistan back on the path to democracy.
No surprise here. BB had two choices. Stand with Musharraf and face the scorn of Pakistanis or oppose the regime and face certain arrest.
Pakistan Policy Blog, sourcing Geo TV analyst: Musharraf moved on BB after "relations between the PPP and the Muttahida Majlis-e Amal (MMA) — the coalition of Islamist parties — warmed this week after years of frostiness." BB has also called for sacked Supreme Court justices to be reinstated.
Updates follow links...
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Streaming live: Geo TV (here and here): Pakistan, Urdu, some English; Dawn News: Pakistan, English, server may be down due to traffic IBN: India, English NDTV: India, English Al-Jazeera: Qatar, English
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan AP — A security official says Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been placed under house arrest in Islamabad, where police have surrounded her home.. (APNEWSALERT) 2007-11-08 23:42:11
UPDATE 1-Pakistani police cordon off Bhutto home. (PAKISTAN-(UPDATE-1,) 2007-11-08 23:49:06
UPDATE 2-Bhutto under ‘virtual house arrest’-spokeswoman. (PAKISTAN-(UPDATE-2,) 2007-11-09 00:31:59
Bhutto under house detention; 5,000 supporters arrested to block major rally. (PAKISTAN, 15THLD-WRITETHRU) 2007-11-09 01:05:46 (Full AP here).
UPDATE 3-Bhutto under ‘virtual house arrest’-spokeswoman. PAKISTAN-UPDATE-3, 2007-11-09 01:53:46 ISLAMABAD, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Pakistani police placed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under virtual house arrest on Friday, a spokeswoman said, to stop her from holding her first rally since President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule.
Bhutto tries to breach Pakistan police cordon. (PAKISTAN/BHUTTO) 2007-11-09 04:01:22 ISLAMABAD, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto tried to breach a police cordon surrounding her Islamabad residence on Friday, hours after being placed under house arrest.
“Get out of the way. We are your sisters. My father laid down his life for you and this nation,” Bhutto appealed by megaphone to police as her bullet-proof car tried to break through their ranks.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan AP — A Pakistani official says opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been freed from house arrest, but barriers and police remain outside her Islamabad villa.. (APNEWSALERT) 2007-11-09 14:37:40
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01:55 Eastern - CNN/IBN Exclusive; PPP Party President Makhdoom Amin Fahim: "All roads have been blocked in and out of Islamabad. No one is being allowed inside Benazir Bhutto's house or out of it. However, there is no official announcement that she is being placed under house arrest.
"We will go ahead with the public rally that was planned in Rawalpindi against President General Musharraf. Protests will continue protests throughout the country. We were simply demanding the restoration of Constitution in Pakistan as well as free and fair elections. It was to be a peaceful rally and we were doing nothing wrong so this crackdown by the government is not fair. Over 7,000 PPP workers have been arrested overnight."
"Bhutto spokesman Wajid Hasan in London said that water and electricity has been cut off at the location for the rally. He said the doors to the venue have been welded shut to stop keep supporters out."
"Five opposition politicians -- including the head of the National Party -- were charged with treason Thursday in Karachi."
02:52 - The Times; Pak Police say they have intelligence that 8 suicide bombers plan to target Rawalpindi rally and have placed BB under "virtual house arrest" for her own security. "But Ms Bhutto has been told that a formal arrest warrant has been prepared and will be issued if she tries to defy the cordon, which some PPP officials claim she is determined to do. 'She’s free to go anywhere but if she tries to go to the rally she’ll be stopped,' said a government official."
03:40 - Teeth Maestro; "...activists on the ground in Pakistan sent in a message via Skype, stating that the HRCP (Human Rights Commission Pakistan) website has been blocked in Pakistan by the PTA (Pakistan Telecommunications Authority)" Looks like the HRCP website is completely down. Also, CNN and BBC have been blacked-out again.
04:30 - BB attempts to breach cordon Bhutto talks to CNN International live via phone while trying to leave her home. Supporters are attempting to break through barricades and cut barbed wire. Trying to reach rally site. Has not been served arrest warrant. Large media contingent. 500 strong media presence line street near her home. Homes of supporters stormed. Women beaten by police. Rally would have been peaceful. Government's action has only created chaos. If government knows suicide bombers have entered Rawalpindi why hasn't the government acted to arrest them.
Also spoke with AFP during breakthrough attempt. DPA says attempt aborted after "her armoured vehicle was stopped by the scores of riot police deployed outside."
05:29 - Forbes; BB served with house arrest order: "Pakistani police on Friday formally served former premier Benazir Bhutto with an order placing her under house arrest, the police chief of Islamabad said."
"'Because of the serious security threat the government has served her with a restraint order,' Islamabad police chief Shahid Nadeem Baluch told Agence France-Presse after Bhutto tried to break through a police cordon around her home."
16:10 - Associated Press; Order lifted but barriers, police remain: "The U.S. called for the restrictions to be lifted. Hours later, the acting deputy commissioner for Islamabad, Aamir Ali Ahmed, said that they had ended, but her villa remained surrounded by police.
"Party members said she would try to leave Saturday morning.
"'We'll see tomorrow,' said Makhdoom Shah Qureshi, a senior official from Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party as he left a midnight meeting at her home. 'You can see for yourself the barriers are still up, the police are still here.'" Posted
12:44 AM
by Robert
