LAHORE, Pakistan, Sept.26, Reuter: Benazir Bhutto arrived in Lahore to a rapturous welcome of Rose-petals and flag burning on Saturday for her first rally in Pakistan’s political capital for nearly 18 months. Officials of the opposition leaders Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) put the turnout at a quarter of a million, But a plain-clothes police inspector told Reuters he estimated it at about 100,000.
Supporters danced and clapped as they burned US. flags and effigies of military President Mohammad Zia-ul-Hag, who overthrew Bhutto’s father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 10 years ago,
The crowd showered her with rose-petals as she drove in a motorcade from Lahore railway station to the old city, making V-victory signs,
Political analysts see the visit to the capital of politically dominant Punjab province as a show of strength after what was widely interpreted as a setback for the BPP in a recent by-election.
“The people of Punjab province have proved today that they will not vote for Zia,” Bhutto told the crowd.
The September 17 by-election in the Punjab constituency of Mian Channu was won overwhelmingly by the government candidate, who took more than 80 per cent of the votes.
The PPP, which does not recognize the current Parliament as legitimate, did not contest the poll officially, But many PPP workers campaigned hard on behalf of the main opposition candidate, The government denied opposition charges of rigging.
Bhutto told the rally her party had not fought the by-election. The PPP and other opposition parties are campaigning for immediate General Elections, while the government says they are not due before 1990,
The analysts also said the trip was intended to reassure the 34year-old Bhutto’s supporters after the announcement of her engagement to marry a polo-playing businessman, Asif Zardari
Some PPP workers have criticized the arranged match as a mistake, but Bhutto says it will not affect her political work.
Bhutto took over the mantle of her father after his execution on disputed conspiracy to murder charges in 1979,
When she returned from voluntary exile in April, 1986, a crowd estimated by eyewitnesses at several hundred thousand turned out to welcome her in Lahore, But an attempt to defy the government four months later was easily crushed and Bhutto spent three weeks in jail.
Since then she has addressed few public meetings until August 20, when she drew an estimated 100,000 people to. series of rallies in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city.
Thousands of people swamped Lahore railway station on Saturday, decorating it with the PPP red, green, and black flag, Hundreds climbed onto the roof of Bhutto’s train when it arrived despite loudspeaker warnings about live power cables.
Recently, detectives raided the offices of the Indian Express, the biggest selling English language national daily. It was the first raid ‘on the newspaper since the days of strict censorship during the 197577 emergency condemnation.
Chief Editor Arun Shouries said it was politically motivated but Mr. Gandhi denied he was interfering with Press freedom and rejected allegations that such raids ‘were a precursor to a new state of emergency.
“Mr. Gandhi is afraid we will get the truth”, Mr. Shourie said, referring to the crusade led by the daily against government corruption.
Annual reports by the Press Council and newspapers have documented many cases of harassment.
In April, S, Balasubramanian, a respected Tamil editor, was jailed for two days in southern India after his weekly magazine published a cartoon lampooning politicians.
In June, police arrested 33 journalists in a northern Indian town alleging they had robbed a government official of Rs. 30 (less than $3), A newspaper editor was accused of stealing four meters of electric cable,
Numerous serious complaints| are also leveled against the free Press — mostly relating to scurrilous writing and biased reporting.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 2, 1987
