'House arrest to protect Benazir'

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema on Tuesday said that there is real threat to the life of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto for which the government has kept her under house arrest for another seven days.
At his weekly media briefing on the law and order situation here, he said that the government was taking exceptional security measures to ward off the threat and to ensure her safety as it was constantly sensitising Benazir Bhutto through her security advisors about the looming threat, advising her to avoid long public exposures.
He further said that at least 3,000 leaders and workers of PPP were also arrested ahead of the planned long march from Lahore to Islamabad. The government had two options, he said, one to allow Benazir Bhutto to carry out her planned long march at her own risk and second to restrain her from this activity. The government, he said, went for the second option and restrained her from long march, as the government cannot absolve itself of its primary responsibility to ensure safety and security of its citizens.
"It is the responsibility of the government to ensure enabling environment for the forthcoming general elections. It is equally important that all political parties and members of the civil society should play their role in ensuring peaceful transition of power," the spokesman added.
Our political leadership is under grave threat by the terrorists. The suicide attack on Federal Minister Amir Muqam in Peshawar, is an ample proof, Cheema added.
He opined that there are credible intelligence reports that terrorist groups and various other extremist elements are out to target Benazir Bhutto. Cheema claimed that since the imposition of emergency, the law and order situation is improving and partial working of the courts has begun and he expected that political parties, lawyers and other segments of society would extend their cooperation to defeat terrorists.
All those held in preventive detention over the past couple of days due to potential threat to public peace and order would be released soon and will not be kept under restrictions a day longer than necessary, he said.
About military operation in Swat, the spokesman said that Pakistan Army was present in Swat since July but ironically not requisitioned by the previous provincial government for reasons best known to them. On Monday, he said, the NWFP government formally requisitioned the army, adding that army has taken the charge and Frontier Constabulary, Frontier Constabulary and police would work under the army.