Pak Supreme Court orders release of detained Opposition figures

Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry today ordered the release of all Opposition detainees who were taken into custody over the weekend.

Islamabad, Sept.27 : Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry today ordered the release of all Opposition detainees who were taken into custody over the weekend.

Chief Justice Chaudhry made the ruling after summoning police and government officials to his court.

Expressing its annoyance over closure of roads, the court said, "Who has issued orders of closure of the roads."

The apex court also ordered the administration to avoid putting hurdles to stop traffic flow on the roads.

"We should celebrate holding of the presidential elections, the administration should not clamp curfew," the court observed.

The ruling came even as the apex court is hearing arguments of a case pertaining to the holding of two offices -- that of the President and the post of Chief of Army Staff -- by President General Pervez Musharraf. The case has already been adjourned twice during this week, though the apex court has dismissed three petitions related to the matter.

The Supreme Court is expected to give some kind of ruling in the case today after lawyers representing the two sides put forward their arguments.

Thursday's apex court order to release Opposition leaders and acitivists came as both Musharraf and former Supreme Court Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed filed their nominations for the October 6 presidential poll amidst tight security in the Pakistan capital.

The Pakistan Government had defended the arrests of opposition activists opposing the re-election of President Pervez Musharraf in the wake of an unusually harsh statement by the US over the developments.

The US embassy in Pakistan on Monday described the arrest of opposition leaders as "extremely disturbing and confusing for the "friends of Pakistan", and urged the Musharraf regime to free the detained men.

State Minister for Information Tariq Azeem, however, said that the arrested activists were threatening key institutions and had been taken into "protective custody."

"The US normally understands our internal situation better than others because it is a very close ally. I am sure it realises that a democratic society needs the rule of law and not rule by mob," Azeem said.

Earlier, in order to prevent the Opposition parties from staging protest rallies against Musharraf, the Pakistan Police had arrested 35 leaders of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) on the charges of disrupting public order.

This step came in the wake of calls made by opposition parties that they would do their best to stop Musharraf getting himself re-elected as the President, the Daily Times reported.

The move was in response to the threat to escalate the confrontation with the government and disrupt the election, confirmed an intelligence official.

ANI