Pakistan Holds Bhutto Briefly, Jails Other Foes

Authorities today briefly detained leading dissident Benazir Bhutto and arrested hundreds of opposition supporters in the biggest political crackdown of the country’s 16-month-old civilian government.

Bhutto was stopped at Karachi airport and given an order banning her from entering Punjab province, where she was to lead a march through Lahore on Thursday to mark the country’s 39th anniversary of independence and address an opposition rally.

She returned to Karachi as police arrested many of her top lieutenants.

‘Repressive Measures’

“This exposes the so-called democratic government. They have resorted to repressive measures and they do not enjoy the support of the people,” the daughter of executed Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto told reporters at the airport.

Witnesses said police raided homes of all top opposition leaders in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and other major cities.

A statement by the 10-party Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, the main opposition alliance, said police arrested hundreds of workers and raided the homes of thousands more in a roundup that started at dawn.

The crackdown was set off by widespread opposition plans to defy an order banning political rallies Thursday.

Planned Show of Strength

The opposition planned the rallies to show their strength and force Prime Minister Mohammed Khan Junejo to announce by Sept. 20 a date for new elections.

The unrest broke out while President Zia ul-Haq, still regarded as Pakistan’s strongman despite formally turning over power last year when Junejo was elected, was absent on a visit to Saudi Arabia.

Junejo, whose ruling Pakistan Muslim League also had planned a Lahore rally Thursday, banned the gatherings because he said the opposition wanted to create an atmosphere of fear and political unrest.