Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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September 23, 2007

Pakistan Police Arrest Opposition Party Leaders Ahead of Election
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1999F5C:A6F02AD83191E160DFE69DE223E599A09574F7DCC14957C0 Opposition parties
petition Pakistan's Supreme Court to declare President Musharraf's
re-election bid unconstitutional





Pakistani police officers stand guard outside the apartment of Javed
Hashmi, acting president of Pakistan Muslim League-N, 22 Sep
2007Police in Pakistan have arrested at least four leading figures in
political parties opposed to the re-election of President Pervez
Musharraf. Daniel Schearf reports from VOA's Islamabad bureau.

Government officials say the arrests were to prevent ongoing public
protests against Mr. Musharraf's government from getting out of hand.

But opposition parties say the 30-day detentions are clearly aimed at
silencing critics of Mr. Musharraf's bid for re-election October
sixth.

"This is a sham democracy. We condemn it. And, we will go to the
courts. We will protest on this," said Ahsan Iqbal, the spokesman for
the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, one of the parties whose leaders
were arrested late Saturday. "And, we want the world also to see what
kind of democracy General Musharraf is running in Pakistan."

Opposition parties are petitioning Pakistan's Supreme Court to declare
Mr. Musharraf's re-election bid unconstitutional, primarily because he
is still head of the armed forces.

General Musharraf came to power in a peaceful military coup in 1999.
He has been elected president once since then.


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