Aseefa Bhutto Prevented From Seeing Zardari Despite Court Order Allowing Meetup

The daughter of former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, was stopped from entering Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Islamabad today.

Aseefa Bhutto was on the way to meet her father who was admitted there. Aseefa informed media that she was manhandled by women police officers who prevented her from seeing her father.

She apprised reporters present outside the hospital that her father, upon seeing her, struggled to get out of his wheelchair and let her in. She added that when she was inside, police officers repeatedly came and said to her, “Bibi, get out!”

.@AseefaBZ stopped and manhandled by police as she reached to visit her ailing father at PIMS hospital with the court permission in her hands. The fascists have now resorted to attacking daughters! Pakistan reliving Zia times. pic.twitter.com/NJpqdTVf2z

— Maleeha Manzoor (@MaleehaManzoor) August 30, 2019

Aseefa Bhutto also said that did not pay heed to the orders of the officers as she had a court order allowing her to meet her father. She added that Zardari was also not allowed to speak to his lawyers.

On Thursday, Zardari was shifted to PIMS hospital on the recommendation of a medical board as the former president had been sick. Zardari generally suffers from heart, back and spinal problems.

Zardari is in jail due to an ongoing investigation against him in the fake accounts case. He had been sent to Adiala Jail on August 16 after his physical remand was changed to judicial remand.

Earlier this week, Bilawal Bhutto claimed that the government was refusing to shift Zardari to hospital even when government doctors were recommending that he be transferred to a hospital.

People have criticised Aseefa’s treatment on her visit to PIMS. A human rights activist on Twitter said that the government had stooped to a new low with this act.

Sad to see Puppets & Selectors are coming to a level that women & daughters are harassed & intimidated for political reasons.Witnessed it today the way police pushed us back & stopped Aseefa Bhutto from seeing her father, Who's also Former President of Pakistan #FascistNiazi

— Samana Malaika Raza (@MalaikaSRaza) August 30, 2019