Punjab turned into police state, says Bilawal

Lashes out at provincial govt for ‘illegal’ police raid at residence of party office-bearer

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the Punjab government has turned the province into a police state.

He was reacting to the Punjab Police’s ‘highhandedness’ against PPP Lahore Division President and former MPA Shahjahan Ahmed Bhatti whose house in Nankana Sahib was raided.

“Illegal raids and intrusions into the party leaders’ homes express the highest level of political frustration by the leadership of the ruling party,” said Bilawal in a statement on Saturday.

He said raiding Bhatti’s house without a warrant was a threat to PPP leaders and workers in Punjab and violation of the sanctity of ‘chaadar and chardiwari’. He warned the Sharif brothers to desist from such tactics as “your days are numbered”.

The PPP chairman demanded immediate action against officials involved in the ‘illegal’ raid “before the party workers take to streets to demolish the Sharifs’ house of cards”.

Meanwhile, the PPP chairman along with his sister, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, visited Bhutto Legacy Foundation Chairman Bashir Riaz’s residence to inquire about his health. They were also accompanied by Faisal Mir, Chaudhry Riaz and Dr Zarrar Yusaf who had informed the PPP chairman about Riaz’s health.

Riaz has been associated with the Bhutto family since 1967. He had worked with former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto as adviser and is currently working as senior adviser to the incumbent PPP chairman.