Bhutto's widow, daughter to be detained longer

January 14, 1980

Martial-law authorities have ordered that the widow and daughter of executed Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto be detained for another three months. The order was made soon after Begum Nusrat Bhutto and her daughter, Benazir, appeared in court in Karachi to challenge the original decision of the martial-law government last Oct. 16 to hold them without trial.

The two women, who lead Mr. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, were put under house arrest along with other politicians when Gen. Zia ul-Haq announced that he was canceling planned general elections and banning all political activity.

Mrs. Bhutto told reporters at the court hearing that if she were free to speak publicly she would send a congratulatory message to Indira Gandhi, whose party last week won an overwhelming victory in India's general elections.