ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The government has allowed deposed judges to move to their hometowns or keep their official houses till the law permitted them, said Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema on Tuesday.

Talking to Dawn after a weekly press briefing, Mr Cheema claimed that no deposed judge was under house arrest and they were free to go to their homes.

Denying that many judges of the Supreme Court, including Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, were under house arrest, he said: “They can move to their homes for which they will be facilitated by the government.”

However, some lawyers were of the view that even after going back to their homes, the deposed judges would not be allowed to move outside and they would remain under a virtual house arrest.

Mr Cheema said he did not know if the judges would be allowed outside after they were back in their homes.

He said that under the law, the deposed judges could stay at their government accommodations for a month or so.

At the briefing, the spokesman said the deposed judges were staying in Islamabad of their own choice, although they could go home.

Asked when would the emergency be lifted, he said the objectives for which it had been imposed had not been achieved.

Giving details about lawyers, journalists and political workers arrested since the imposition of emergency, Mr Cheema said 3,416 detainees had been released and another 2,000 would be freed soon. He said some detainees were facing criminal charges and the courts would decide their cases.

He said efforts were being made to improve the law and order situation which was essential to complete the vital third phase of transition to full democracy. He said that with the induction of caretaker set-ups at the centre and the provinces, arrangements were being made for free and fair election.

The spokesman said peaceful protests were a part of the democratic process and the government would not make any attempt to create disturbances in the run-up to the election.

Answering a question about the Swat operation, he hoped that the situation in the region would be brought to normal in three to four weeks. “There are certain foreign elements operating in Swat and the army is leading the efforts to neutralise hardcore militants and their foreign abettors in the Swat valley.”

He said the focus was also on avoiding any harm to the peaceful local population. “All precautionary measures are being taken to achieve this objective while maintaining the thrust to reign in and eliminate militants involved in anti-state activities.”

In certain areas, Mr Cheema said, people had been advised to leave their homes because militants were forcibly taking shelter in civilians’ residences and firing on the security forces from their.

He said 130 to 140 militants had been killed in Swat so far. However, he was reluctant to give details about casualties the security forces and the army had suffered.

The official said it was important that the people of the troubled areas were able to take part in the coming election and hoped that law-enforcement agencies would restore peaceful conditions for the polls.

He said the situation in Parachinar was under control. He confirmed that 55 people had been killed and 150 others injured in the Parachinar clashes.