Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supporters on Tuesday began the ‘long march’ protesting emergency rule without Benazir Bhutto, as dozens of cars set off from Lahore while she remained under house arrest, her party and police said. The PPP motorcade departed from Lahore towards Kasur, party official Shah Mahmoud Qureshi told AFP. “There is a caravan of more than 100 cars heading out of Lahore. We are on our way,” Shah said. Police confirmed several dozen cars and an unspecified number of protesters had formed a caravan. Meanwhile, the Punjab government thwarted the PPP’s long march by arresting dozens of party leaders and workers, Daily Times learnt.
PPP Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto, Senator Latif Khosa, PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badr, some leaders from southern Punjab and several Central Executive Committee members remained confined to Senator Latif KhosaÂ’s house. Party leaders said Bhutto would announce her future strategy after holding a party meeting.
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