Activists detained in Pakistan before judge's visit
11 May 2007 13:33:06 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds Musharraf to address rally in Islamabad) By Imtiaz Shah KARACHI, May 11 (Reuters) - Police in Pakistan detained hundreds of activists on the eve of an anti-government rally planned to welcome the country's suspended top judge to Karachi, opposition leaders said on Friday. Authorities confirmed some arrests had been made ahead of suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry's visit to the volatile city on Saturday, but didn't say how many. The government's suspension of Chaudhry on March 9 angered the judiciary and the opposition, and has blown up into the most serious challenge to President Prevez Musharraf's authority since he seized power in 1999. Attorneys for Chaudhry said the judge would go ahead with his visit to Karachi to address lawyers despite worry about clashes with government supporters, who will hold their own rally, and a request from authorities to cancel because of fears of terrorism. Opposition leaders said hundreds of activists were detained overnight and in pre-dawn raids in Karachi. Police also drove off people trying to set up rallying points along the road Chaudhry will take from the airport and tore down banners put up to welcome him. "They are trying their best to sabotage our programme. They have removed our camps and arrested 450 activists," said Munawar Hassan, a leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an opposition alliance of six religious parties. "But we'll give him a good reception and bring him in to the rally from the airport," he said. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the main party in the provincial government and a partner in the federal government, has called for a rally to oppose Chaudhry's visit. TENSION Police and a provincial government spokesman said some opposition activists had been detained and some camps removed as they were obstructing traffic. "We're keeping a very vigilant eye," said the spokesman and MQM member Sallahuddin Haider. "We're not expecting clashes. The MQM would not like the city to be disturbed but I'm afraid some outsiders might try to instigate problems." The provincial government said this week terrorists might take advantage of the situation and police said they had arrested a dozen people planning to attack Chaudhry's rally. "The al Qaeda threat is always there in Karachi," Haider said. On Thursday, gunmen fired shots at the Karachi house of one of Chaudhry's lawyers; no one was hurt. Extra police and paramilitary troops were patrolling the streets on Friday. Chaudhry denies wrongdoing and has refused to resign in the face of undisclosed charges of misconduct. The crisis has erupted in the run-up to a general election and an anticipated attempt by Musharraf, an important U.S. ally, to secure another term. Musharraf, who is also army chief, is due to seek re-election in September or October and wants to be re-elected by the national and provincial assemblies before they are dissolved for elections due around the turn of the year. Analysts say his main motive in seeking the removal of the independent-minded Chaudhry is to have a more pliable man in place in case of a constitutional challenge to his plans. Chaudhry's visit to Pakistan's biggest city is the latest in a series of protests by the opposition and lawyers calling for his reinstatement. While Chaudhry meets his supporters in the southern city, Musharraf is due to hold a rally in the capital, Islamabad. (Additional reporting by Kamran Haider and Robert Birsel)
