October 1, 2002	Tuesday	Rajab 23, 1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 30: At least eight people were arrested in Mirpur on Monday after a clash between the police and the activists of Anti-Mangla Dam Extension Committee.

The demonstration coincided with the ground-breaking of the Mangla Dam raising project, by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The demonstrators, numbering almost 400, had gathered near Chowk Shaheedan and wanted to proceed towards the Quaid-i-Azam Stadium, where President Musharraf was inaugurating Sui gas supply to Mirpur.

The residents and journalists told Dawn by telephone that the whole city was sealed by the administration with thousands of additional troops deployed for the president’s security.

“The shops on the main roads were forcibly shut by the administration and the stadium was virtually under the siege of police and army personnel,” a local journalist said.

The slogan-mongering activists, who included committee’s chairman Arif Chaudhry and a former AJK minister Chaudhry Ali Mohammad Chacha were stopped by police.

A police officer said the demonstrators pelted stones on the police which caused minor wounds to three constables. Those held included, Arif Chaudhry, Mohammad Amin, Raja Ali Zaman, Chaudhry Javed Zafar, Imran Shiraz and Ehtishamul Haq.