Pak authorities lock gates of Bhutto's rally venue

The gates of the venue in Rawalpindi, where former Premier Pakistan Benazir Bhutto plans to hold a rally on Friday against the emergency rule in defiance of a ban on such gatherings, have been locked by authorities.

Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party had decided to hold the rally at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi as part of its election campaign, but she has now said it would be a 'show of strength' against the emergency clamped by President Pervez Musharraf on November 3.

Announcing her plans to oppose emergency on Wednesday, Bhutto asked PPP workers and the public to attend the rally by defying a government ban on it.

But Rawalpindi's District Coordination Officer Irfan Elahi said: "No one will be allowed to sabotage the peaceful atmosphere by holding a public rally."

Officials said the rally had been banned in view of the prevailing security situation, including the threat of suicide attacks, and the emergency rule, which bars all sorts of gatherings.

"The gates of Liaquat Bagh have been locked and no one would be allowed to enter the area," Elahi said.

The government of Punjab province has said any violation of the ban will be dealt 'with the full force of law.'

PPP spokesman Nazir Dhoki pointed out that the meeting had been called before the emergency was declared and the party will go ahead with it as scheduled.

"Inshallah, Mohtarma (Bhutto) will go to the rally and so will PPP workers. We will not be intimidated and nothing will stop us," Dhoki said, adding, "We will hold the rally whether any one likes it or not."

Bhutto supporters arrested:

Hundreds of Bhutto's supporters have been arrested following her call for public protests against the emergency.

Most of the arrests were made in Punjab province.

PPP leaders said police had launched a crackdown on party activists on Wednesday night, shortly after Bhutto called for protests and said she will lead a 'long march' from Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, to Islamabad if Musharraf did not lift emergency and hold elections as scheduled in January.

About 300 PPP workers were arrested in Lahore and another 200 in Sialkot and Faisalabad, Dawn News channel quoted PPP leaders as saying. There were also reports of arrests in other parts of Punjab and across the country.

Since emergency was imposed on November 3, hundreds of Opposition workers, rights activists, lawyers and judges of superior courts have been detained or put under house arrest.

Among those placed under house arrest are sacked Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and rights activist Asma Jahangir while cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has gone into hiding to evade detention.