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Top Pak oppn leaders held

In a continuing crackdown on major political parties, Pakistan's military regime has detained over 3000 activists, besides the head of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League and Pakistan People's Party, ahead of a pro-democracy rally.

ARD leader Nawabzada Nasarullah Khan was arrested after police raided a house where leaders of the alliance had met to finalise arrangements for the rally, planned for Friday, Pakistan's Republic Day, PPP sources said in Lahore.

PML acting president Javed Hashmi, PPP acting chief Makhdom Amin Fahim and Awami National Party vice-president Asfandyar Wali were also bundled into police vehicles and taken away, the sources said.

The ARD is an umbrella organisation of major political parties.

According to a PPP estimate, over 3000 activists of political parties have been detained in the swoops over two days.

Military leader General Pervez Musharraf's press secretary Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi said the government would not allow any "interruption" to the process of reconstruction of the economy and maintenance of law and order.

"Using the national day for disruption rather than for uniting the nation exposes the real face of the people involved in ARD," he was quoted as saying by the official news agency APP.

PTI

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