Defying the government’s order that she should not leave her house “for her own security”, Bhutto left Zardari House in the heart of the national capital at around 1:40 pm, but was stopped by policemen who had surrounded the house since early Friday morning. A magistrate served the detention order on her and she was taken back to the house.

Earlier, armoured cars and policemen in black riot gear cordoned off the Zardari House and barricaded all streets leading to it with concrete blocks.

Police arrested about a dozen PPP workers who gathered outside Zardari House and also prevented the media from going near the house.

Earlier, senior PPP leaders like vice-chairperson Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Farhatullah Babar were allowed to enter Bhutto’s house.

“We will go ahead with our programme. Even if the rally cannot be held, PPP workers have been told to go to Rawalpindi at all costs,” Fahim told reporters.

‘Sabotage’

Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Bhutto had been asked not to lead the rally due to security reasons. He said the decision was made following a tip-off that terrorists had entered the city to “sabotage” the rally at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.

Thousands of policemen were also deployed in the twin city of Rawalpindi and all roads connecting it to Islamabad were blocked early on Friday morning, causing problems for commuters.
Police sealed off many arterial roads, using metal barricades, vans, container trucks and tractor trailers to block traffic.

Policemen arrested all slogan-shouting PPP workers who attempted to walk from Islamabad to Rawalpindi. The arrested workers were promptly bundled into vans and driven away. Liaquat Bagh, the venue of the rally that Bhutto had said would be a “show of strength” against the emergency, was surrounded by  baton-wielding policemen.

The gates of the ground were locked and police set up barb wire barricades on nearby roads.
Rawalpindi’s police chief Saud Aziz told reporters that any one coming for the rally would be arrested as it had been banned by the authorities.