Opinion September 19, 1977, Forty Years Ago: Bhutto’s Arrest
In a communique issued to explain why he had arrested Bhutto only three days after a Lahore court had let him out of prison on bail citing insufficient evidence to justify his detention, the martial law administrator, Zia ul Haq, said massive evidence had been gathered against Bhutto.
Express front page forty years ago
Bhutto’s Arrest
It would take a miracle now for Pakistan’s former strongman, deposed prime minister Z.A. Bhutto, to be able to run in next month’s general elections. By arresting him for the second time in two weeks and putting him on trial before a special military tribunal, the martial law authorities have shattered his hopes of being returned to office in the October 18 elections, or of appealing to the electorate to save him from his fortunes.
In a communique issued to explain why he had arrested Bhutto only three days after a Lahore court had let him out of prison on bail citing insufficient evidence to justify his detention, the martial law administrator, Zia ul Haq, said massive evidence had been gathered against Bhutto. The criminal and political accusations against Bhutto are sufficiently varied and vague that almost certainly if one of them does not bring him down, another will. For the first time, Zia stated that convicted candidates would be banned from the polls. Up to now, even if he was in prison, a politician could run for office. Bhutto risks the death penalty if convicted by the high court in Lahore of complicity in attempts to assassinate political opponents.
CBI Denial
The CBI denied that it has instituted any inquiry against Kanti Desai, son of the prime minister, Suresh Kumar, son of the defence minister, or Kamla Bahuguna, wife of the petroleum minister. A statement issued by the CBI said that a report appearing in some newspapers alleging an inquiry was “totally false and baseless”.
Dalit Panthers
A group of young Dalit Panthers stormed the Jati Toro Sammelan in Delhi when Home Minister Charan Singh was addressing the participants. In a bid to disrupt the speech, the Panthers stormed the dias and raised slogans against Singh. Several participants of the sammelan, sympathetic to the Dalit Panthers stance, joined the slogan-raisers.
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