Bhutto placed under 'house arrest'
Tariq Aziz, the information minister, however, said the former prime minister has not been formally placed under house arrest. But "we will not allow any leader to carry out any rally. The law is equal for everybody and anyone violating it will be dealt with accordingly", he said.
A senior official said police had cordoned off Bhutto's only for her protection.
Special report
But other officials said she would be stopped if she tried to attend the rally, due to begin in Rawalpindi near Islamabad at 1pm (0800 GMT)."She's free to go anywhere but if she tries to go to the rally she'll be stopped," said a government official who declined to be identified.
A senior police official said an order placing Bhutto under house arrest had been prepared.
Crackdown
The move against the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) came amid a broader crackdown on her supporters.
The Pakistani government has deployed 6,000 police officers in Rawalpindi to prevent the planned rally against the state of emergency imposed by General Pervez Musharraf, the president, last week. Police have completely sealed off the venue for the protest in the garrison city near capital Islamabad on Friday.
Read MoreGet Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.