Bhutto placed under house arrest again

LAHORE, Pakistan - Authorities mounted a massive security operation Tuesday to hold opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under house arrest for the second time in five days and prevent her from staging a 185-mile protest march against emergency rule.

An aide to Bhutto said her supporters would sweep away the barricades and allow her to embark on the planned three-day procession. However, police swiftly detained the first demonstrators to arrive at the cordon around her residence.

The showdown intensified the political crisis engulfing Pakistan and further clouded the prospect of a pro-U.S. alliance against rising Islamic extremism forming between Bhutto and President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

Bhutto's aide, Sen. Safdar Abbasi, said the seven-day detention order was not binding because neither Bhutto nor one of her representatives had been served with the document.

"She will defy the ban," Abbasi told The Associated Press by telephone. "We are ready for the long march, and our supporters will remove all the police blockades in the way of their leader."

However, Aftab Cheema, the chief of operations of Lahore city police, told the AP that a Bhutto representative had received the order issued by the government of Punjab province.

"She has been detained and she won't be allowed to come out," Cheema said.

Thousands of police in riot gear blocked all roads leading to an upscale area of Lahore from where Bhutto wanted to lead the procession. A total of eight trucks or tractors pulling trailers, all of them loaded with sand, were parked across one street early Tuesday.

Police stood behind the vehicles and a row of metal barricades topped with barbed wire. The house of a lawmaker where Bhutto was staying was out of sight for reporters, who were prevented from crossing the cordon.

The protest caravan was intended meant to pressure Musharraf to end the state of emergency he imposed on Nov. 3 and give up his post as army chief. It had been expected to take about three days, and Bhutto's party said thousands of supporters were expected to join en route.

Asked to comment on Bhutto's house arrest ahead of Tuesday's protest, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said: "While the situation continues to evolve, we believe that peaceful protests should be permitted and those detained should be allowed to participate." -AP

Pakistan Police continue to arrest lawyers and politicians across the country

ISLAMABAD, Nov 05, 2007 (inp) : Hundreds of lawyers, politicians were arrested all across the country on the second day after the imposition of emergency and the raids are under way for arrest of others who are still at large.

Protesting against the imposition of emergency, lawyers boycotted the courts proceedings all over the country and held demonstrations while police arrested lawyers and political leaders and workers in a large number.

The lawyers of the Karachi Bar Association also held demonstration against the judges taking oath under PCO.

Police arrested 25 lawyers including president Karachi Bar Association Iftikhar Javed Qazi.

After the emergency meeting of the general body of the Karachi Bar Association, police broke the lock of the main gate and entered the building. It arrested more lawyers including two female lawyers. Later, police made arrests on regular intervals.

According to the police sources, 25 lawyers of the Karachi City Court have so far been arrested.

Courts proceedings were completely boycotted and protest demonstrations were convened by the Sindh High Court Bar Association against the judges who took oath under PCO.

According to lawyer leaders, police during the demonstration arrested over 150 lawyers.

NGOs and journalist organizations held demos outside the Karachi Press Club in protest against the imposition of emergency in the country. Many people were injured in police baton-charge on the protesters and various persons were arrested.

Various lawyers were wounded in the police shelling and baton-charge after the lawyers in the Lahore High Court attempted to come at Mall Road.

The lawyers organizations decided to continue the boycott of courts until the lawyers are released. The lawyers took out a rally in the limits of court and the police arrested 15 lawyers from there.

A shutter-down strike was observed in other districts including Quetta on the appeal by Pashtunkhaw National Democratic Alliance and the police arrested various people from there.

Also, the lawyers boycotted the courts in Nauskhki sine die. The courts boycott was observed also in other areas including Turbat, Gwadar, Chaman, Loralai, Zhob, Pashin, Qala Abdullah, Qala Saifullah and Moosakhel and the flags in black colour were hoisted at bar rooms.

Peshawar lawyers locked the courtrooms as a token of protest. And at the Bar Association meeting, the judges who took oaths under PCO were demanded to resign.

In Noshehra also, the raids were conducted at the houses of lawyers. The courts were boycotted in Abotabad, Lucky Marwat, District Hangu, District Kurk and district Mansehra. Police arrested three lawyers and political workers from Lucky Marwat and 17 from Abotabad.

The lawyers in Abotabad surrounded the Cantt police station, who were manhandled by the police.

In Gilgit area, the courts were boycotted and a rally was taken out, which was baton-charged by the police.