Islamabad - Pakistani police yesterday arrested opposition leaders after detaining more than 2,000 political workers in a major sweep ahead of a rally later this week, party officials said.
"We have arrested 22 leaders from the place where they were meeting," in Lahore, a police officer, Mr Mushtaq Bargat, said. He did not give any reason for the arrests, but party officials said the action was part of the military government's campaign to stop them from holding a public meeting in Lahore tomorrow to mark the country's national day. Opposition leaders earlier said more than 2,000 political workers had been detained to prevent the rally planned by the 18-party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD).
Those taken into custody included ARD head Mr Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and leaders from former prime minister Ms Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and from the Pakistan Muslim League, headed by deposed prime minister Mr Nawaz Sharif.