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Expatriates worried over safety of loved ones

DUBAI — Phone lines to Pakistan from the UAE were jammed after the news of Benazir Bhutto's assassination made headlines yesterday.

Pakistani expatriates said they were worried about the safety of their loved ones back home as Pakistan People's Party (PPP) supporters took to the streets as a protest against their leader's killing.

"The scenario in Pakistan changed suddenly with shops being closed and party workers firing in the air and creating a ruckus all around. I was only able to get in touch with my family back home in Lahore after several phone tries. Only then I was told that the situation was pretty bad as shops were being closed and areas cordoned off," said Imtiaz Asghar, a resident of Sharjah whose family is in Lahore.

"Either all networks were busy or the calls were being ended. Me and my family were extremely worried about the safety of our relatives who are in Karachi which has been a stronghold of PPP. So we knew that the situation would be really bad in Karachi. Finally after several tries I managed to get through to my brother who told me that he had to take refuge in a relative's house nearby," said Rasheed Ali.

"My sister back home said that the local phone lines were totally jammed while international calls were only barely coming through," said Maliha Ali Khan. "All areas in the city of Lahore have been cordoned off and we are not able to get in touch with our families at all," she added.