KARACHI, Feb 13: Local administration uprooted protest camps of the Pakistan People's Party on Friday, set up in connection with Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy's week-long protest for mobilizing support for removal of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The ARD has launched a week-long 'Remove Musharraf-Save Pakistan' protest campaign throughout the country for realizing its objective. According to Bilawal House spokesman, the police removed the protest camp from the Hyderi Market and allegedly misbehaved with former federal law minister ND Khan and the sitting MNA, Sherry Rehman. The police also used force to disperse activists who were chanting anti-government slogans, he said.

The PPP MNA, Sherry Rehman, told reporters that police action proved that the rulers were afraid of the protest rally, adding that despite the assurance that the protest would be peaceful, the police removed the camps.

She said that religious extremists were allowed to bring rallies and meetings but the peaceful workers of the political parties were not allowed even to set up camps.

Political activists and leaders of various component parties of the ARD participated in the day-long protest camps in other district headquarters also to register protest against the mishandling of the nuclear scientists issue, lawlessness, price hike, unemployment and the 'U-Turn' on Kashmir issue.

The activists chanted "go Musharraf go" slogans and demanded that Ms Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif be allowed to return and those who have been arrested, including Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Asif Zardari, should be released immediately.

Leaders vowed to continue the campaign till the removal of what they called 'anti-people regime' and restoration of 'real' democracy. Those who spoke at the camps were Taj Haider, Nafees Siddiqi, Sardar Rahim, Muzaffar Shujra, Khawaja Muhammad Awan, Habib Junedi, Zain Ansari, Khalil Qureshi, Shaikh Majeed and others.