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Pak opposition stages pro-democracy rally

Pakistan's military regime on Tuesday failed to prevent a May Day pro-democracy rally in Karachi as more than 500 opposition activists managed to group themselves despite massive police deployment.

Leaders and activists of the 18-party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy held their planned rally briefly at Nishtar Park before a police crackdown, in which scores of them were arrested, witnesses said.

The rally was called to demand an end to military rule and the restoration of democracy in the country.

Police and paramilitary forces besieged the port city to thwart the rally. But ARD activists, co-ordinating with each other on cellular phones, sprang a surprise on the police by converging at Sadar Empress Market in central Karachi.

As the emotionally charged rallyists, emerging from different directions, dashed towards Sadar Market, police entered Bilawal House, office complex of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and beat up a number of party activists, including Bhutto's secretary Naheed Khan, Pakistan People's Party sources said.

PPP vice-chairman Amin Faheem, who was kept under house arrest, told the Press Trust of India on telephone that a group of policemen entered Bilawal House and assaulted party cadres.

"Our people managed to hold the rally despite all efforts to prevent it," he said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Manzoor Mogul denied that police entered the Bilawal House.

The rally took place despite an appeal by the country's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, not to pay heed to "useless politicians".

"Those useless politicians should stay home. We will not tolerate any instability," Musharraf told a meeting in Islamabad on Monday.

The large police presence in Karachi disrupted normal life as all main roads were heavily barricaded. With police enforcing a virtual curfew, people stayed indoors.

The city wore a deserted look as the transport system came to a standstill.

Izaz Shafi, media secretary of deposed premier Nawaz Sharief's Pakistan Muslim League, said more than 25,000 policemen were deployed in the city to prevent the rally.

Over 2,500 opposition activists were taken into preventive custody, he said.

This was the second rally to have been organised by the ARD demanding restoration of democracy in the country. A similar rally failed in Lahore on March 23.

PTI

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