March 17, 2007	Saturday	Safar 27, 1428

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RAWALPINDI, March 16: Over 500 people, including political leaders, were detained by the police of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Friday amid violent clashes.

The protesters wanted to assemble in front of the Supreme Court to show solidarity with Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry who appeared before the Supreme Judicial Council.

Hide and seek continued throughout the day between the protesters and police.

More than 30 people, including two lawyers and some police personnel, were injured and four police vehicles were damaged in different incidents related to Friday’s protest, police and hospital authorities said.

Among the injured two lawyers, Haroon Rashid and Syed Khawar Amir, were shifted to hospitals while 15 policemen were treated by mobile medical unit.

The lawyers were injured after they fell from the vehicle on which they had mounted while accompanying the chief justice to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi police claimed to have arrested five persons having links to a banned militant organisation and seized weapons from them as they were entering Islamabad to join the occupants of Lal Masjid on Friday.

District Police Officer (DPO) Saud Aziz said activists of Jaish-i-Mohammad, including Mufti Abdul Rauf, brother of Masood Azhar, had been arrested and weapons seized from them.

“They were going to Lal Masjid when the police intercepted them at Faizabad picket. The arrested persons were taken into custody and shifted to New Town police station for further investigations,” DPO Saud Aziz said.

Besides the five suspected members of the banned outfit, more than 560 persons, who were trying to enter Islamabad to join the protesters, were taken into custody from different parts of Rawalpindi district.

At one stage the police had to resort to baton charge at Faizabad when a large number of people gathered there. Several persons, including a journalist of a private TV channel, were reported to have been injured.

The police said some of the arrested people would be released late at night after their verifications, but those involved in clashes would be booked.

In Islamabad more than 50 people including MMA leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Inamur Rehman, Saifullah, Mehmoodul Hassan and Rashid Ahmed were taken into custody.

MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed and other political leaders were shifted to the Secretariat police station where JI Amir confirmed his arrest on the mobile phone.

In another move, hundreds of people including lawyers, were prevented by the Punjab police from reaching the Supreme Court where suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was to face a presidential reference before the Supreme Judicial Council.

In line with federal government’s orders, the governments of Punjab, NWFP and Kashmir deployed hundreds of police personnel at exit points to stop people from going towards Islamabad on Friday.

Nearly, 4,000 extra security forces had been called from other provinces to reinforce security on Friday.