Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has been detained at a house in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, leading English-language newspaper The Dawn reported Tuesday.

 

Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto waves to the journalists upon her arrival at the journalists protest in Lahore. Pakistani authorities Tuesday placed Bhutto under house arrest for the second time in less than a week to stop her leading a march against emergency rule.

 

Police officials reached the Khosa House early Tuesday with detention orders of Bhutto who would be confined for seven days at the Khosa House, to prevent her from leading a long march of over 300kms from Lahore to the capital of Islamabad.

 

She was staying at PPP leader Latif Khosa's residence ahead of the planned long march to protest against proclamation of emergency in the country, suspension of constitution, detention of judges and arrests of lawyers and political workers.

 

Police in a late night step closed the Khosa House with barriers and deployed heavy contingents at the place.

 

Police sources were quoted as saying that the provincial government of Punjab had issued orders that the PPP workers should be stopped from the rally "at any cost."

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2007)