Bhutto husband release demanded

By Zaffar Abbas
BBC correspondent in Islamabad

Meetings demanding the release of Mr Zardari have been widespread

Opposition parties in Pakistan are demanding the release of Asif Zardari, husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Rallies and protest meetings have been held to mark Mr Zardari having spent seven years in prison.

Mr Zardari was arrested on 5 November 1996 when Ms Bhutto's ruling government in Pakistan was dismissed.

There are some 12 cases against Mr Zardari ranging from conspiracy to murder, drug smuggling and corruption.

But so far he has only been convicted in one case of financial wrong-doing.

'Prisoner of conscience'

Members of Ms Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) describe Mr Zardari as a prisoner of conscience and the longest-serving political detainee in the country.

Zardari has been in the prison for the last seven years

Unlike in previous years when only a few PPP supporters held protest meetings to mark the anniversary of Mr Zardari's arrest, this year's meetings to demand his release have been quite widespread.

Opposition MPs on Tuesday smuggled in banners inside the National Assembly to highlight the issue.

Later they marched to the nearby Supreme Court where some opposition politicians described Mr Zardari's continuous imprisonment as the worst form of political victimisation.

Once dubbed "Mr Ten Percent" for his alleged role in taking commission and kickbacks on government contracts, Mr Zardari is now regarded by many of his former detractors as a political prisoner.

With the emergence of a new political alliance against President Pervez Musharraf, some of Mr Zardari's biggest opponents have joined hands with the PPP to demand his immediate release.

They include the PML (N) party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Murder charges

Mr Zardari was accused of using his position as the Prime Minister's husband to take huge commissions and kickbacks on local and international contracts.

Later he was also booked for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to murder Mrs Bhutto's brother, Murtaza Bhutto - a charge strongly rejected by both Mr Zardari and Ms Bhutto.

Zardari is accused of using his position as Ms Bhutto's husband

Since his arrest he has been repeatedly shifted from Karachi to Lahore and Islamabad to appear before anti-corruption and anti-terrorism courts.

Although he has been convicted in one of the dozen-odd cases for commission on a contract for Pakistan Steel Mills, his lawyers say he has already served more time in prison than the full length of the conviction.

A case against him and Ms Bhutto is also being tried in the appeal court in Switzerland.

During a recent appearance in a court in Rawalpindi Mr Zardari told the BBC that he was being victimised for being the husband of Ms Bhutto.

He said since he was not prepared to strike a deal to opt out of politics, he was not likely to be released as long as President Musharraf was in power.